


Reconcile

by Ethernna



Series: Remember Who I Am [1]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety, Avoidant Personality Disorder, Depression, Emotional Manipulation, Eventual Oma Kokichi/Saihara Shuichi, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Monokumarz | Monokubs Don't Exist, Multiple Personalities, Neo World Program (Dangan Ronpa), Oma Kokichi Needs a Hug, Out of Character Oma Kokichi, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Self-Harm, but it sorta makes sense, rereading past chapters is helpful, someone please just give kokichi a hug, this entire story is a mess
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-03
Updated: 2019-07-09
Packaged: 2019-10-21 07:36:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 47
Words: 100,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17638547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ethernna/pseuds/Ethernna
Summary: Kokichi Ouma had won the 53rd season of Danganronpa after successfully killing Shuichi Saihara-- but something went wrong. Kokichi woke up to see that the entire killing game had restarted and he was the only one who remembered anything.And although he tries to ignore it, there's something in his mind that is pressuring him to relive those events and finally atone for his sins.His struggles attract the attention of Shuichi Saihara, the very person that he had killed.





	1. The Eyes of a Killer

**Author's Note:**

> basically the whole story is that kokichi remembers killing everyone but somehow it "never actually happened"

His hands were stained with blood that wasn't even there. There were cheers coming in through loudspeakers that didn't exist. The laughter of a bear resounded in his hears. It sounded less like a cheer and more so a screech that wouldn’t stop even if it were to try.

“Congratulations! You beat the Killing Game!” The bear laughed. “Kokichi Ouma, the Ultimate Supreme Leader—Or should I say Dictator? Which do you prefer, hm? Pupupupupu~!” His laughter echoed throughout the once-populated Trialroom.

Kokichi had gone extremely pale. He had seen all his _friends_ disappear. He had killed someone. He saved them from having to live a life of terror, and now he was the only person who would have to live on without the pain of knowing his _friends_ were dead.

The robotic bear had been holding his signature red button; signalizing the end of one’s life. He pressed it eagerly, causing the doors to open. “You’re free to leave. Go on!”

Kokichi didn’t move. He stared at his palms, the imminent effects of the final elimination were beginning to fully set in. He buried his face in his hands, much to the bear’s dismay.

“ _Not another one._ ” He said rather disappointedly. “Alrighty then. It was getting good, too… Come on in, my little helpers!”

A group of men stumbled into the room, and one of them—presumably a doctor—had stepped over to Kokichi. He opened his briefcase and pulled out a tiny syringe, quickly injecting him.

As his vision began to blur, Kokichi slowly lost the ability to move. He collapsed onto the floor. ‘I hope they’re all proud of me.’ He thought. The final thing he saw was a woman with long blue hair speaking to him. He opened his mouth to reply, but nothing came out. His vision slowly faded into nothingness.

 

* * *

 

Kokichi’s eyes opened to a run-down classroom. His head was buried in his arms on the desk, and his body’s energy was limited. He rubbed his eyes warily and surveyed his surroundings. There were flora growing around the edges of the room and the furniture was cheap-looking and somewhat worn. He had been here before.

He had quickly realized that he was there alone. Kokichi stood up and headed for the door. By opening it he saw a long hallway. He was in a school. He had been here before, most definitely.

What started as small, wary steps turned into a full-on sprint. He knew where he was. He knew that he…

Kokichi took a sharp turn and slammed open the doors to the gymnasium. Nobody was there. He took a few steps forward, taking long, steady looks at the building he was in.

“I’m here.”

“Who’s here?” A voice behind him spoke, causing Kokichi to spin around. There stood two people. A young woman with long blonde hair was followed by a boy with his face covered by a hat. “Do you know where we are?”

Kokichi’s eyes widened. “You’re…”

The girl smiled, walking closer to him. Subconsciously Kokichi had stepped back ever so slightly. “I forgot to introduce ourselves!” She cheerfully began. “My name is Kaede Akamatsu, the Ultimate Pianist.”

The boy with the hat adjusted its position and spoke, “I’m Shuichi Saihara. I’m—”

“The Ultimate Detective.” Kokichi whispered. He blinked. He blinked again. “It’s you…” He spoke under his breath.

“Huh? You know who I am?” Shuichi asked with concern.

He didn’t remember who he was, Kokichi quickly realized. “Ah—I recognized your name from a newspaper…” He rubbed his eyes. “I’m Kokichi Ouma, the Ultimate Supreme Leader.” He put on his facade. “I’m the leader of a secret organization with over 10,000 members!”

Kaede looked rather confused but smiled anyways. Shuichi looked extremely doubtful. “Are you sure? I’m not sure I’ve heard of such an organization…”

“It’s a secret organization, dummy! It’s _secret_ for a reason!” He paused, putting his index finger up to his mouth. “To answer your question, I have no idea where we are.” Taking a spin, he laughed. “But I’m a liar, so you never know!”

The two looked a little impatient. Kaede spoke first. “Well, thanks for your help anyways…” She nudged Shuichi’s arm before heading out.

Kokichi had watched them leave, his cheerful smile slowly falling into a deep frown. That deep frown was soon covered by a hand. He dashed into the bathroom nearby, coughing up something that wasn’t there. Quickly giving up, he pushed down the toilet seat and sat down.

“I’m here again.” He murmured. “I’m back here. They’re all alive. I’m not dreaming, am I?” He pinched his arm. “Have I lied so much that I’m lying to myself? They’re all dead, aren’t they?”

Memories poured into his head. He remembered everything. He had won the killing game. He had watched all his _friends_ die. He knew they were dead, so then why did two of them appear in front of his eyes? Then it hit him. He remembered the end of the last killing game. Monokuma’s “little helpers” had entered. He saw someone there. He saw someone talking to him.

‘This really is a game.’ He thought. ‘They mustn’t know I know this. They’ll come for me. They’ll tear my head apart.

 

_They’llhurtmebecauseIkilledmyfriendsandthey’llshowitlive—_

He realized he wasn’t thinking straight. ‘I have to keep calm. Maybe I imagined things… I have to keep my role as the Supreme Leader.’

Kokichi opened the door to the bathroom and stepped out. His face was blank, and his expression was unreadable. He stepped out of the bathroom and looked around. A group of students were chatting in the courtyard. Kokichi walked over to them.

“Oh, hello!” The boy there spoke. He didn’t look human.  “Who are you?”

“Kokichi Ouma, the Ultimate Supreme Leader… and you are?”

“I am K1-B0, the Ultimate Robot! Please call me Kiibo.” The robot spoke rather gently.

The first of the two girls next to Kiibo spoke. “My name is Kirumi Tojo, the Ultimate Maid. Please come to me if you require my assistance.”

“I am Angie Yonaga, Atua’s Ultimate Artist!” The second girl chirped.

“We were just trying to figure out where we are.” Kirumi added. “Would you happen to know anything?”

“Nope! Nothing at all. Just wandering around, honestly.” Kokichi shrugged, putting his hands behind his head in a lock.

“I see. If that’s the case, then please do not wander around until you know this place is safe, for your safety.” Kirumi dipped her head.

Before Kokichi could reply, a voice resounded over the loudspeakers. “Will all students please assemble in the gymnasium!”

“We’d best get going.” Kiibo sighed.

Kokichi trailed in front of them, quickly losing the three as he headed into the gym. There was a group of people that had already assembled in the gym. He could have spoken to any of them, but something was holding him back. He didn’t want to interfere with conversations—no, he was terrified to speak to any of them. But, he was forced to introduce himself a couple of times.

Luckily, Monokuma popped up in time to save Kokichi from any further conversations. “Good morning, students!”

Kokichi had lost interest in the speech, standing off in the back of the room and twiddling his thumbs. The only thing that got his attention was the gasp that flowed through the gymnasium as Monokuma announced the rules of the killing game.

“Are you all stupid? It’s not like you haven’t heard already…” He spoke very quietly so nobody would hear. He bit his nail in frustration. “You’re all gonna die anyway.” He continued, a little louder.

Monokuma had disappeared and the students were clamoring about their fears. Kaede stepped up and called, “Alright, then! None of us are going to abide to these rules, right? Let’s get out of here.”

The students had mostly agreed. Kokichi narrowed his eyes and began to back outside of the gymnasium. He listened as he left about their plans to escape—but he knew there was no chance.

He had just seen all the people he had killed. They were all alive. Kokichi didn’t know what to do. There was the idea to beat the killing game or to see what would happen. All he knew was that he had to put on the act of the Supreme Leader, even if it meant getting the anger of all the students at him.

Knowing the way around, Kokichi retreated to the dormitories, slamming the door to his own behind him. He had not realized there was a smile on his face. He covered his face with his palms and slowly fell onto the floor, his back leaning on the door. Fake tears—no, they were real—were falling down his cheeks. A small laughter broke into a maniacal one as Kokichi concluded his ideas. He wiped his eyes and stood up, looking into the mirror of his room.

“I’m sorry.”


	2. Memories of a Time Long Forgotten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kokichi doesn''t understand why someone can fall asleep while reading a good comic

The dimmed lights automatically brightened as the television in his room turned on to the black and white bear. “Rise and shine!”

Kokichi sat up, rubbing his weary eyes and looking around. His previous experiences left him with a sort of calming sensation in his surroundings. He was used to his room, as nothing bad had ever occurred here.

He opened the door to his room, seeing multiple other students leaving as well. They were all heading to the dining hall for breakfast. Kokichi preferred not to go as well, but ultimately decided that he needed to eat.

From outside the door to the dining hall, one could hear the chatter inside. It wasn’t loud, but the thin walls made it possible to hear. He opened the door slowly and sat down at the table with everyone to avoid suspicion.

“Hello, Kokichi!” Angie greeted him, causing everyone to notice his appearance.

He didn’t answer her but showed gratitude when Kirumi placed down a plate of pancakes in front of him. “Be my mom.” He echoed.

Kirumi seemed to notice his words and let out a small chuckle. She sat down at the end of the table with her food. Kokichi picked at the pancakes before taking his first bite. It was delicious. He devoured the rest of them in a matter of minutes. He wiped his face with a napkin as Kaede stood up.

“Gonta has notified me of a large door he had discovered while looking for… bugs…” She trailed off. “We should all try it today! It may lead to the outside!”

Kaito acknowledged the idea triumphantly. “We can do that! We’ll do it together.”

Kokichi’s happiness of pancakes quickly turned into confusion. He spoke rather loudly. “I don’t think we can escape.”

Kaede looked over. “What do you mean?”

“I…” He paused, standing up. “I don’t know. I’m a liar, after all.”

Miu hissed. “You kiddin’ me? You got the nerve to lie to me?! You’re gonna fuckin’ pay for that!”

Kokichi flinched, but he held himself together. “I’m not going to get myself caught up in your own despair.” Without another word, the now quiet room sent Kokichi out as he closed the door behind him.

“God, this is so annoying.” He pouted at himself. “I can’t handle all of them.” He had retreated to his room, leaving the door open slightly with the chain attached. Nobody would be able to get in, but they could easily communicate through the door.

Kokichi scrolled through the bookshelf of comics, a thin film of dust trailing over them. He opened a random one and flipped through the pages, vaguely listening to the group of people outside the dormitory.

“Good luck.” He said to himself. “Maybe you will get out of here. Maybe it’s better that way.”

Hours passed. Kokichi opened his eyes to a knock on the door. The comic he was reading covered his eyes.

“Kokichi? Are you in there?” A voice called.

He didn’t recognize who it was. The comic book was laid on the bedsheet as Kokichi walked over to the door, hesitating to open.

“Who is it?” He replied in a childish voice.

“It’s Shuichi. We were all a little worried about you.” He answered rather bluntly.

Kokichi opened the door and smiled. “Hi, hello! You were worried about little old me?”

“What? Of course, we were. You disappeared after breakfast.” Shuichi stated as if it were obvious. “Have you been here the whole time?”

Kokichi laughed. “Wow! Gave up on that tunnel so soon?” He raised his hands to his mouth. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone of your defeat.”

Shuichi didn’t look pleased. “Thank you for your time.” He walked away.

Kokichi closed the door and laughed.  ‘Well, I guess _something_ stayed the same about him!’ He thought to himself.

Turning around, Kokichi realized that he had left his comic book waiting. He didn’t remember much of it and left it there. “Oh well…” He sighed. “I’ll get around to finishing it another day.” He paused, laughing at himself. “If I’m alive that long!”

He opened the door to his room and left the dorms behind him. Gonta and Angie were exploring the gardens. Korekiyo was doing… something(?) by the fence.

The courtyard was empty. Kokichi could hear the echoes of conversation from the classroom nearby. He headed over to the door and stood outside, leaning against the wall. He heard Shuichi engaged in conversation with Kaede.

“The time limit ends in one hour.” He sighed. “The mastermind will go to the library, and that’s when we’ll catch them.”

A loud noise came from Shuichi’s direction. Both began to panic. “The receiver, Shuichi!” Kaede gasped.

Without hesitation, Shuichi ran out of the door, thankfully not seeing Kokichi, who was hiding behind the now open door.

“W-Wait for me!” Kaede ran after him.

Kokichi watched her run after Shuichi before smiling. “Good for them.” He walked a bit behind the two of them as they headed down the staircase to the library.

Kaito and Tenko were outside, and Kokichi didn’t really know what they were talking about when they spoke about preparing to beat Monokuma. They opened the door to the library as Kokichi watched with interest. Was the “mastermind” really in there?

Kokichi waited eagerly for an answer. Did the game end already? He had truly hoped so. However, a loud scream caused him to choke for a second and he dashed into the library.

Peering around the corner, Kokichi saw the four students staring something beneath the bookshelf. He stepped closer to them, trying to get a look at the subject.

On the floor lay the corpse of someone he had used to know. Blood trailed down the bookshelf leading to the corpse of Rantaro Amami. Kokichi’s eyes widened as he covered his mouth, his skin going extremely pale. His breath staggered, and he stepped backwards awkwardly.

Nearly all of the students had arrived now, looking at the dead body. Gonta was rather confused at the body, but Angie didn’t seem to mind. Maki was looking at everyone with suspicion.

Kokichi swallowed back his fear as the Body Discovery Announcement played. He pouted childishly. “Aww man… Not Rantaro! I kind of enjoyed him too…”

“This isn’t a joke.” Maki’s hard eyes stare at him.

Before Kokichi could reply, Monokuma popped up out of nowhere. “Oh, wow! We were so close to the time limit running out! I was getting a little worried there…”

He didn’t know there was a time limit. Shame, too. He missed out of a slew of information regarding the killing game that was absent from the last one.

Monokuma went on about how investigating works, but Kokichi didn’t seem to listen. He just wanted to get out of there. He couldn’t look any of them in the eyes without remembering their faces before he saw them die.

The group began to converse about the Class Trials and the Investigation. Kokichi took the opportunity to leave then and there. As he backed out of the room, he saw Shuichi was looking dead in the eyes at him. Fitting for a detective.

Kokichi walked out of the room and sat down on the stairs. He rubbed his head, thinking about Rentaro’s dead body. He was terrified, but he couldn’t show that to everyone. His disappearance was enough to get them to question him.

If he were to stay there for any while longer, people would be investigating, and he would probably be in the way. He stood up and walked up the stairwell, heading into the bathroom and splashing his face with water. He looked into the mirror, seeing his frail body staring back at him. He poked his cheek, narrowing his eyes in annoyance.

“God, why am I like this?” He hissed at himself.

After satisfying himself with multiple childish faces in the mirror, he stepped out of the bathroom and looked around. It must have felt ominous to know someone died in the building if not for his… previous experiences.

“Shit… I have to take my mind off of that.” He pinched his arm.

Kokichi walked down the hallway, his hand trailing down the wall. He noticed Tsumugi was walking into the warehouse. Not knowing any better, he walked in after her.

“Hey, Tsumugi!” He greeted.

The girl perked her head up and turned around. “Hello, Kokichi! I was just looking for any clues regarding the murder.”

“Clues? What kind of clues?” He asked.

“Well… The murder occurred with a shot-put ball to the head, yes? Perhaps there are more then one of them in here? Then we’d know where it came from.”

Her long blue hair almost reached the girl’s feet. “I was wondering, Tsumugi. Have I seen you somewhere before?”

The girl’s face was questioning. “I don’t think so, no…”

Kokichi smiled with a giggle. “I guess not, then! I’m probably just lying about thinking to see you!” Without a word he walked away.

In the courtyard, he was approached by Kaede. “Hey, Kokichi. I need to know where you were at the time of the murder.” She spoke firmly.

Now, he could have told him that he was spying on them, but that would be extremely bad for his reputation. Then again, he didn’t really care about that.

“Why, I was in the library killing Rantaro!” He decided to laugh. “Where else would I be?”

Kaede looked impatient. “You what?”

“Hahaha! Why would I tell you now if I could just say it at the class trial? That would be much more interesting.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m just saying that…” He hesitated, collecting his thoughts. The image of Kaede before her execution flashed in his head. He smiled. “This is a game, so let’s enjoy it!”

Without a reply, he headed into the dorms and into his room and continued reading the comic he had started to pass time. He didn’t want to get engaged in the investigation. It gave him a headache.

Without knowing how much time had passed, Kokichi suddenly heard Monokuma’s voice over the loudspeaker. “Will everyone please gather at the Shrine of Judgement!”

It was time for the Class Trial.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello! this is chapter 2 of the story! I hope you all enjoyed it~~ i'm trying to keep these chapters around 1500-2000 words so that its easier and faster for me to update for you all! thank you for the support <3


	3. The Wish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the first trial is here!!!!! and condensed for the sake of the plot carrying on!!!!!!111

The group of students had assembled at the Shrine of Judgement, their breaths visible in the air despite it not being that cold. In fact, it was the perfect temperature for someone to…

Kokichi was standing at the back of the crowd, monitoring the others as they headed onto the elevator. Taking his turn, he stepped inside as the last person to enter and waited for the door to close behind him.

“This is taking us… really deep.” Himiko commented, shivering in fear.

“Of course. They don’t want us to escape our eventual deaths.” He laughed. “But who knows? We may all just die down here.”

“Knock it off!” Kaito spoke a bit quieter than usual.

Kokichi stood quietly, reading the Monopad’s information the others had accumulated until he heard Kaede speak. His attention shifted from himself to whatever conversation she was having.

“Everyone is afraid of the truth. But the people who find the truth are the ones that pave the way to a better future. Don’t worry. I trust you to make the right choices.” She was speaking to Shuichi. “If you’re scared, use the strength of your friends around you.” She smiled, almost sadly. “You can do this.”

Shuichi nodded, a small smile forming. “Yeah… I sure hope so.”

Kokichi narrowed his eyes as he thought. ‘God, do they have to be like that in public? They’re probably going to die here, anyway. They best be fearing what’s to come.’

The elevator stopped moving and there stood two large, intimidating doors that slowly opened to reveal the Trialroom. Kokichi ran into the front and opened his arms, cheering.

“The game is finally starting!” His voice echoed in the hall. Knowing where his stand is, he dashed over and jumped onto it, excitedly preparing himself for what was to come. Someone in this room had killed Rantaro—yet he was the one who had killed them all before. Thankfully they didn’t seem to remember, but the only thing that existed were the memories that resided inside of Kokichi’s mind. There was no proof other then the scar that his experiences had left behind.

As the others filed into their podiums, Monokuma popped up and briefly explained the rules of the Class Trial.

“I’m going to end this killing game by exposing the mastermind…” He could hear Kaede speak. “I’ll use the rules of the Class Trial to do just that!”

Kokichi laughed. “I guess you’re ready to face the truth, even if it’s not very welcoming.” He brushed a strand of hair out of his face. “Then here it comes!”

There was something off here. He had known of the shot-put ball that had struck Rantaro’s head. The ones who had been there were Shuichi and Kaede—the two of them were the ones who set up the whole trap. Nobody else knew of the secret room, the mastermind, or whatnot. Most of the students had an alibi except for a couple that could easily be deduced. This included Kiibo and Ryoma. However, the culprit must have known about their trap. If Miu had made the cameras, then she must have done it.

“We all know that the culprit knew about the hidden cameras, yes?” He spoke steadily. “If this were the case, then the culprit would also already know about Shuichi and Kaede’s trap.”

“What are you hinting at?” Miu asked. “Who did it, then?”

Kokichi smiled, tipping his head to the side. “It’s you.” He pointed to Miu.

“W-What?! I only designed them, I don’t know what they were used for…!” Miu stuttered, shifting her body around with a slight tremble.

It doesn’t fully deduce her, but it was decent enough to rule Miu out for now. “If someone were to ask me to make cameras, I’d ask what they were for.”

“Why didn’t you ask then? Huh? Huuuuh?” Angie swung to the side with a goofy looking grin. Her hair fell down to the floor as she swung from side to side in time with her words.

“I-I-… I was awake all night making them… I d-didn’t think I would p-pass out…!” Miu shook, sweat beginning to form.

“You’re getting awfully worked up over this. Look at you!” Kokichi played along.

“For someone who acts so intimidating, you’re actually a real wimp, huh?” Tsumugi said rather nonchalantly.

“L-let me off the hook! What is it you want? Money?!” Miu went on as Kokichi lost interest.

He turned his head over to Kaede, who was looking rather thoughtful. Miu went on about not being in the basement, and that got her attention.

“That’s right! Miu wasn’t in the library at the time of the murder. Isn’t that right, Kiyo?” She looked over to the rather unique man.

Kiyo help up a finger in consent. “Yes, that’s right. Miu was in the dining hall.”

Kokichi sighed, looking rather defeated. Miu looked at Kokichi and hissed, “There you go, you little fuckin’ abortion! Why don’t you keep your mouth shut?!”

A small frown formed on Kokichi’s lips, fake tears forming. “I-I only wanted to help find the culprit.” Something in Miu’s eyes were unsettling to him. They were filled with determination and hope—quite the opposite of her eyes before the execution. “Y-y-you’re so mean!” He cried, tears rolling down his cheeks. Not even a moment passed before the tears were gone and he was back to his somewhat malicious smile. “…’Kay, I’m better now.”

“Tsumugi and Kirumi were also present in the dining hall.” Kiyo continued.

“We can deduce them as culprits for now, then.” Kiibo added. “As long as they were all together the entire time.”

“No, not the _entire time_. Tsumugi left to go to the restroom.” Kiyo added, casting a glare at the girl next to her.

“Oh… so you would mention it. That’s true. I went to the restroom near the dining hall.”

Monokuma laughed. “The restroom?! Oh, I’m getting so excited right now!!!” His red eye gleamed.

“E-ew! Why?!” Tenko looked horrified at the small bear.

Tsumugi sighed. “I did not go the basement. I was also not in the restroom long enough to become suspicious, am I right?”

“You’re the Ultimate Cosplayer. Couldn’t you have just disguised yourself as someone else?” Ryoma looked rather cold.

“D-Disguise?! I don’t do disguises!” Tsumugi shivered as though Ryoma had said something terrible.

Kaede looked over. “That’s not possible, because whenever Tsumugi cosplays as a nonfictional character, she gets Cospox!”

“Exactly! When people refer to dressing up as a real person as cosplay, it makes me sick! So sick, that I get Cospox whenever I try!”

“I see…” Ryoma trailed off, pulling down his hat a little. “Sorry, Tsumugi. I just had to make sure.”

Kokichi looked around. “Regarding the group that had gone down to the basement, wouldn’t Maki be the most suspicious?” He laughed. “Just look at her. She looks like she’ll murder someone right here and now!”

Maki began to put the blame on Kaito, and Kaito had started a whole mess of the idea that anyone in that group could be the culprit. Kaede attempted to calm them down as they all began to say they weren’t the culprit.

The conversation quickly ended, and Kokichi began to listen once more as Kaede began to talk about the sensors. “Are you sure that the sensors were actually on the bookcases?” He asked rather slyly.

“No… I didn’t.” Kaede looked quite gloomy.

Kokichi’s eyes travelled from Kaede to Shuichi. “Did it ever occur that Shuichi may have lied about the sensor?” He began to explain his ideas. “Shuichi places the sensor on the hidden bookcase. But he actually was holding it the whole time. When he met with you, he secretly turned it on.”

“I see! Sneaky little shit!” Miu pouted.

Kaede looked as though she were about to panic. She looked around frantically as Kokichi continued. “The moving bookcase is what triggered the sensor.”

“H-hang on a minute. If the security sensor wasn’t placed, we wouldn’t have been able to take the picture of Rantaro!”

“That’s easy to explain, y’see…” Kokichi stopped talking. He froze. He didn’t have anything to say. If he said anything that would expose his memories, especially in front of Monokuma, he would get attacked most surely. He had to think of a lie. “…I hadn’t thought that far ahead… sorry.”

“You’re just gonna give up?!” Tenko looked shocked.

“Yeah, I guess I just made a mistake.” He shrugged, failing to meet anyone’s eyes.

The trial went on rather slowly until Kaede had the idea. “The culprit didn’t know that the picture would be taken when the door closed.”

“…Kaede?” Kaito asked quietly.

“Yes? What is it?”

“Are you okay? You’ve been acting kind of strange.”

Kiyo was the next one to speak. “The last few things you have said carried… more conviction then before.”

“Do you know who the culprit is?” Tenko pressed.

Kokichi was getting very tired. He just wanted to go back to sleep, but Kaede’s response made him almost choke. “I do.” She spoke. “I’ve known for a long time.”

“There was only one person who could set the camera’s flash. Isn’t that right, Shuichi?” She looked at the boy, who was staring in disbelief.

“The culprit of the incident is…”

“ **Kaede is the culprit.** ” Shuichi cut her off and was staring at her strongly.

“W-What?!” Kiibo was the first to reply.

Shuichi went on to explain the whole story from his point of view, adding in specific details such as her spare vest and how she had carried the murder weapon.

“I believe that killing in cold blood is not something Kaede would do… I believe her!” He pushed his argument. “I truly believe this!”

“But… why? Why do you trust me even after what I’ve done…? Why? Are you STILL AFRAID OF LOOKING AT THE TRUTH?!” She shouted.

Kokichi narrowed his eyes, suddenly terrified of the girl. The look in her eyes was nearly the same as the look she had gave him at her execution.

“No… You were trying to kill the mastermind to save us all.” Shuichi concluded.

The vote was prepared. Kokichi looked at Kaede, who was not any longer fearful. She was determined. Something had passed in her that made her confident.

“So… you just wanted to save us?” Kaito whispered.

Kokichi looked over. “Even if it meant killing someone?”

Kaede smiled, sighing off her worries. “Yes… I felt as though killing the mastermind was the best way for everyone to survive.”

Kaito and Tenko were prepared to fight off her execution. Kokichi was staring at Kaede. He stared at her without hesitation, and her gaze back was filled with honesty.

“Enough, you guys… I’m already prepared for what’s to come.”

“You’re giving up?” Shuichi exclaimed. “You said you’d never give up until we escaped this place together!”

“Even after I’m gone, my wish will carry on.” She wiped her tears. “I’m entrusting my wish to everyone here. I believe you all! You must live! You can’t die on me now! Get the hell out of this place, and become friends…”

“Kaede, please—don’t—”

“You can’t lose!” She screamed louder then Kokichi would ever expect to hear out of her.

“It’s… PUNISHMENT TIME!” The bear in the back chanted.

“I believe in you guys, so please, believe in yourselves.” She smiled, saying her last words.

A large crane came out of the ceiling and scooped Kaede up by the neck, pulling her upwards as Shuichi reached up for her hand. Kokichi flinched, slowly walking over to Shuichi and standing behind him.

In front of their eyes, they saw her.

They saw Kaede.

She was being hung in the most violent way possible.

Note after note, she was swung around by the neck, pressing down the keys of the piano before it got faster, the tempo picking up the pace. Kokichi had seen this somewhere before. He had seen this. He knew what this was.

The spike wall behind Kaede fell, crushing her.

Kokichi swung his hands over his mouth, backing up in a panic. This proved that what he saw was real. He knew that he had seen this execution. He saw the same face on Kaede as he had seen previously. His stomach dropped, and he went pale. If anyone saw him, his appearance to them as a Supreme Leader would be gone.

Everyone was devastated.

 

* * *

 

 

Kokichi was following Shuichi as he went up the stairs to Kaede’s lab, as Kaito had suggested he did. Something inside of Kokichi made him follow the young detective. As Shuichi entered the lab, Kokichi sat down outside of the door so that he wouldn’t be seen.

A soft lullaby was heard from inside. He could hear the quiet, painful sobbing of Shuichi in the room.

Kokichi listened, feeling that he was becoming too personal to their affair. He stood up, looking into the doorway to see Shuichi looking out the window, his shoulders sagging. Kokichi walked away, knowing that the detective deserved time alone.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm so sorry if this felt really rushed! I tried to include only the most important things and a bit extra to make sure this doesn't drag on... the plot divergence begins during chapter 3 so until then expect chapters like this!! I hope you've all enjoyed reading, and thank you for your support <3


	4. The Light that Shone Through the Minds of Many

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kokichi goes around the school and does mean things before plot stuff happens

Kaede was dead.

Kokichi had a nightmare of it. The faces of the ones he had killed were rounded up one by one, each taking their own turn to look at him with a face filled with fear. As he looked at each of them, the last one in line was staring back, but he wasn’t look back with fear.

He was looking at Kokichi with pure hatred.

His eyes flashed open to the sound of the morning alarm. He looked around his empty room, making sure he was alone before slowly relaxing. He sleepily opened the door to his room and headed to the dining hall, his stomach growling in the process.

He was one of the first people there. Without getting into conversation, Kokichi sat down at the table and rested his head in his arms. He knew that his memories were true. All of the people around him were his victims. They all looked so… happy without him.

Kaito had opened the door to the dining hall and spoke. “You guys are still going on about the graffiti? Whatever… I brought Shuichi, so let’s start eating.”

Everyone stopped talking and they looked at the detective. The boy stood in the doorway, his eyes fully exposed and his hair showing. Something was missing. Kokichi glanced over before speaking. “You finally got rid of that emo hat! Is this because Kaede died?”

Shuichi didn’t seem to take much interest in the target. “No… I just felt like it was getting in the way.” He took his place at the dining table, sitting in the seat in front of Kokichi. “You don’t have to stare… It’s just a hat.”

“My apologies.” Kirumi nodded her head, setting out each plate of food.

Each of them had used to sit next to a person that had died, and on the other side was a series of empty seats. If Shuichi were to move, he would be sitting in the seat of one of his friends that had died.

The room was so tense one could cut it with a knife. Kokichi couldn’t look anyone in the eyes. He was terrified of each of them. Something in his mind made him think that if someone were to look into his eyes as Kaede did the previous day, they would remember something about what he had done to them.

His eyes slowly drifted to Tsumugi, who was chatting with Tenko and Himiko. There was something off about her that Kokichi couldn’t pinpoint.

Everyone was engaged in a happy conversation as if nothing had happened, but he had a feeling that it was only a coverup of their own fear. He looked at the detective sitting across the way and felt that he was thinking the same thing.

 

* * *

 

 

Kokichi was strolling down the hall towards the courtyard when he stumbled upon Gonta. He was feeling quite bored and went up to him.

“Hey there, Gonta!” He greeted him.

“Ah, Kokichi! Hello!” He waved and made a goofy smile. “What can Gonta do for you?”

“I was just thinking of a great idea for you!” He exclaimed in a childish voice. “What if you were to show everyone your favorite bugs?! Wouldn’t that be amazing?!”

“Gonta don’t know if people will like them…”

“That’s the point! They don’t like bugs! We gotta make them like bugs!”

“Kokichi is right! Gonta will have friends meet his insects!” He started to walk away. “Gonta must go prepare!”

“Alright, goodbye…” He stopped. Why did he just do that? There was no reason to. Perhaps there was an idea that he just wanted to see fulfilled. Perhaps it was just a malicious intent that he had unknowingly started to accomplish. Whatever it was, he started it, and now he must finish it.

As he walked, he passed the bathrooms near the dining hall. Something echoed in his head and made it go back. He stared into the doorway, his vision blurring. Something arose within him and he ran over to the nearest stall and coughed.

He was coughing up nothing.

“Hello?” It was Kaito’s voice that could be heard.

Kokichi immediately froze, closing the stall door and sitting on the toilet seat with his feet hidden. This had never happened before this killing game began. Kaito had left now, and he was probably alone. He stood up and made sure the coast was clear before sprinting to his room.

He slammed the door behind him and panted. He was alone, now. Nobody could hear him. Flashes of their happy, living faces soared through his mind, one after the other, until _his_ face appeared, the same as it was back then. Even if he were to speak out, nobody would believe him. If he were to speak out, he would most likely get his memories erased.

There was irrefutable evidence that something had gone wrong. If he remembered Kaede’s execution, he must have seen it before. A major case of déjà vu? Not likely.

Kokichi had come to realize that he was truly afraid of the other students. He wanted to help them, but he just couldn’t muster up the strength to after what he had done. The comic book he was reading was sitting on the nightstand with a thin layer of dust affixed to the cover. Had it been that long since he had read it before? It had only been a day or two.

He was forced to play along with his own charade. Flashing images of their faces would cause him to panic, and if he panicked, so did everyone else. That was just how the human mind worked. The only way to make sure that the other students did not panic was to make sure that they didn’t actually trust him. If they were used to Kokichi’s lies, they wouldn’t care about him. That was just what he needed—despite it being extremely unhealthy. If he were to save the others and end the killing game, they would have to keep away from him as much as possible.

His thoughts shifted to the Insect Meet and Greet. Gonta must surely be preparing right now. It would be the perfect representation of how to keep them away.

The students were talking about the strange graffiti that was outside. Kokichi stood up, dusted off his pants, and headed out to take a look. Before he stepped out of the door, however, he ran back in and grabbed a marker.

On a rock outside lay the words “Horse A”. He began writing words out on the rocks that match the letters. Once he was satisfied, he decided to walk around a bit to see what the others were doing. Upon close investigation there was a new open part of the second floor, which led up to the third floor.

Kokichi stepped up to the third floor and looked around. Maki was standing outside of a door that was presumably her lab. Shuichi was there as well, engaged in conversation. He walked up to the two of them.

“Ah! Maki. This doesn’t _look_ like an Ultimate Child Caregiver’s lab.”

“You’re right. Goodbye.”

“W-wait, can I at least look inside for a minute?”

“No.”

“Heeey! What’s goin’ on? Are you all fighting to kill each other, or…?” Kokichi jumped over, nearly falling down in the process.

“See what you’ve done?” Maki hissed to Shuichi.

Kokichi was a bit annoyed. “You hear that, Shuichi? You made me show up! Congratulations!” He pretended not to care.

“Ah…” Shuichi didn’t seem to know what to say.

“Anyways, what’s the problem? You don’t want people going into your lab?” He turned to Maki, who was giving him a cold stare. It was quite the opposite of the face she had made while…

“I do not. If you were to try and enter, it would be extremely painful.” Maki threatened, lowering her voice. “For you.”

“P-painful?!” Shuichi looked terrified, taking a step back.

Kokichi looked at Maki. She was hiding something, he was sure. There must be a reason she didn’t want people going into her lab. Judging by her character, she most definitely couldn’t be a child caregiver. She’s too violent.

As Kokichi walked down the stairs and through the second floor, Angie popped up. Her appearance was not one that he was expecting, and by her appearing out of nowhere it scared Kokichi a little.

“Yoohoo!” She greeted him. “Atua has told me to gather everyone in the gymnasium!” She waved to him before immediately disappearing.

It wasn’t as though he had anything better to do. Seeing Angie was one of the stranger things for him. During her execution, she was smiling until the end. She believed that she would meet Atua after she died.

As he entered the gym, many people were already there. He seemed to be one of the last people to arrive.

“Alrighty then! Gather round—let us pray to Atua!” Angie chanted.

“Get to the fuckin’ point, already!” Miu angrily pouted at the artist. “Why did you call us here?”

“Well, I got this strange flashlight.” Angie pulled out a small green machine. “I didn’t know what it was, so I asked for help.”

“You don’t mean…” Shuichi started, but Monokuma popped up out of nowhere.

“Whenever there is a question, fear not ask me!” He called. “If you’re unsure, I’ll help you. If you ever need help, I’ll help you.”

“Tell us, Monokuma. What is this flashlight?” Angie asked rather politely.

“That’s a Flashback Light!” He said. “It doesn’t shine on darkness—it helps you remember lost memories!”

“Lost memories?” Ryoma looked at the bear with wariness.

“Well, you guys were concerned of how you got to this school, yes? If you use that Flashback Light, you’ll remember everything~!”

Kokichi was intrigued, but also terrified. If the light would make them remember what he knows as the previous killing game, then they would all turn against him. He’d be dead for sure. He gulped, his breath beginning to stagger. ‘Calm down. Calm down.’

“Well, are we ready?” Angie’s voice cut through the crowd. Without hesitation, the girl flicked on the light and Kokichi’s vision went fully white.

His head exploded. He saw pictures of people, pictures of what he must have looked like as a child, names, ages, birthdays, events in his life… and he remembered how he got there.

Humanity was told it was going to die. The Earth was doomed by a disease. A project called for the summoning of 16 students with Ultimate abilities to be sent off into outer space. If the Earth were to die, humanity should not.

Lunatics began to say that if the Earth were to die, humanity should as well. There were many attacks on the project—the Gofer Project—to seek out the 16 Ultimate students. This became known as the Ultimate Hunt. Kokichi, the Ultimate ~~Supreme~~ Leader, was forced to escape from lunatics out to get him. He had to run away, seeking shelter in a _facility._ They were able to use a new type of technology that would keep the memories hidden in the back of one’s mind. But something happened…

As his memories began to move away from his thoughts, Kokichi slowly opened his eyes to see that he was on the floor. He was sitting down on his knees; his hands covering his face. He looked around to see he was the only one not standing. They were all looking at him.

“Ah-I-uhm…” He quickly stood up. “Sorry, what were you saying?” He stuttered, rubbing his eyes and almost falling over from standing too fast.

“I remember now! I was fleeing from The Ultimate Hu—“ Shuichi started.

“Did you say Ultimate Hunt?!” Miu pressed. “We all had the same problems!?”

“That seems to be the case.” Kirumi spoke next.

As the others were talking, Kokichi saw Kiibo and Shuichi quickly looking away from him. They were speaking to each other—probably about him—but were too far away for Kokichi to hear.

“We must work together, then!” Kaito exclaimed. “We’re all in this together, right?”

“If…” Kokichi’s word silenced the whole room. “If you guys keep talking to each other about surviving together… and all of this uplifting horse shit…” He paused, seeing that everyone was staring at him. He was too far into the sentence to finish. “Then you can expect to get some painful retaliation… Get it?”

“What are you suggesting, Kokichi?” Shuichi asked calmly.

“That’s it! I’m gonna slug him!” Kaito shouted, pulling up his coat.

Kokichi looked at him and slowly backed up. “What? I-uh…” His head frantically looked around for any help. Nobody was there. “I got to go!” He covered his mouth with his left hand and ran.

He ran as fast as he could, without knowing where he was going.

He stopped outside of the rocks he had written on. Taking a look, he could see that people must not have spotted it yet. With a smirk, he headed into his room and locked the door.

“Good night, other me.” He said to the mirror. “Maybe the me from the previous killing game is watching and is like, ‘wow, Kokichi! Way to go! You’re _so good at this._ ’ But something tells me that’s a lie.”

He lay down on the bed in the freezing room as the lights dimmed. He closed his eyes, feeling as though he had missed a nice meal.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's chapter 4! the next 1-2 chapters will be out this week. if not during the week then most definitely on the weekend! thank you all so very much for your support!~ hope you've enjoyed <3


	5. Let's Greet the Ghost!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kokichi does things he doesn't understand

As his eyes opened, a small tablet lay on the nightstand. His blurry vision was filled with the tears of sleep. He reached out for the tablet, missing multiple times but eventually grabbing it. Looking at it, he read the name on the tablet.

“ _Miu Iruma’s Motive Video!”_

He didn’t understand. They hadn’t gotten it wrong, right? It any case, it would be best to keep the video there for now. His stomach was growling with hunger and he hadn’t eaten last night after Kaito’s threat to attack him.

Kokichi stood up, yawning as he left his room. The dining hall was filled with people. Typically, someone would say hello when he entered. Today, however, nobody seemed to care about his appearance. He sat down in his chair.

Thoughts were swirling in his head. He had fled from a group of lunatics. He escaped to a spaceship… They were in _space_ , supposedly. They were alone in space.

That didn’t make any sense.

He remembered the group of people in his memories. There were other people. We couldn’t be in space. There were others. He was sure.

Unknowingly, he was staring into space and lost in his own thoughts. He was staring at nothing in particular but was unsure of why he was frozen in place. The only thing that was keeping him stable in his seat without running away from everyone was the beating of his heart—soothing yet oddly disturbing.

It was Angie who interrupted him. “Shush, Tenko. Do not interrupt Himiko as she is praying to Atua.” It seemed as though she had gotten the young “magician” into her whole Atua crap. She had walked over to her, taking in a huge hug. “There, there. I know you just feel sad, not scared. You need someone to confide in.” She closed her eyes with a smile. “It’s okay. You’re not alone, Himiko.”

As the two went on, Himiko announced, “I will be hosting a magic show! Your only admission fee is your smile.” She continued. “My magic has healed those with broken hearts.”

The two left the dining hall without letting anyone reply. Kiibo was the first to speak. “…That has nothing to do with our motive videos.”

“You’re worried about that?” Kaito questioned.

“We… we cannot afford to take Monokuma’s motives lightly.” Kiibo replied.

“It’s scary that the people who aren’t here could be showing each other their motive videos.” Tsumugi shivered.

“You mean Ryoma, Gonta and Kokichi?!” Miu angrily hissed.

Kokichi looked up at the sound of his name. Had they not noticed he was there? He hadn’t spoken yet. Nobody had looked at him, either.

“I-I…” He tried to speak. “I’m right here! What are you, blind _and_ stupid?”

Miu looked over in disbelief. She didn’t say anything. Nobody did. They were all dead quiet. Was he that hidden? He was sitting at the table with everyone else.

“A-anyways, I don’t think that they would show each other their motive videos without being able to see their own.” Shuichi concluded with a few missaid words.

The group commented lightly on his ideas. Kokichi stood up, nobody seeming to notice his movement. He looked at them one by one before sighing and walking away towards the door.

“Where are you going?” Shuichi asked him.

Kokichi stopped, turning around to look at the detective. He didn’t say anything, but just stared. Moments passed. He shook his head and opened the door, letting it close on its own behind him.

Before entering his room, he saw that Ryoma’s door was cracked open. He walked over slowly, peering in through the crack.

“What do you want?” He spoke in a quiet, monotone voice.

“A-ah! Ryoma…” Kokichi scrambled. “Your door was open. I wanted to make sure you weren’t dead.” He laughed. “They’re starting to suspect you. I’d watch your back.”

Ryoma looked over at him with a cold glare. He walked up to the boy, slamming the door on him. Kokichi was left standing at the door. He walked back to his room with a melancholic look on his face. He didn’t mean to be rude to Ryoma. He was just trying to say that they were suspecting him because of the motive videos.

A knock was heard on his door. “Kokichi?” Kirumi could be heard.

“Huh?” He walked over to the door, being greeted with the maid holding a plate with a beautiful omelet.

“You had left before the food was served. It was only proper of me to bring it to you.” Kirumi explained.

Kokichi rubbed his head. “Thanks, mo—Kirumi. Thank you.” He stuttered.

Kirumi smiled. “Call me what you wish.” She said, taking a deep bow and handing him the plate. She walked off without another word.

With the door closed, Kokichi began to eat his food. He took the first bite.

He had tasted this before.

Kirumi had made this before.

Not for him, though.

For Kokichi during the previous killing game.

He covered his mouth. He couldn’t speak. He was having another one of those… fits. He ran into the bathroom, coughing up nothing. It felt like there was something inside of him. It felt wrong. It made his mind fuzzy. It made him want to pass out.

He took a sip of water as he sat down on his bed. He had tried his best to finish the omelet. It was small enough; it was as though Kirumi properly proportioned it out to satisfy human hunger just enough. He rubbed his head, feeling very dizzy.

“I just want to sleep…” He mumbled to himself.

He slowly lay back, covering his eyes with his sleeve. He closed his eyes with a sigh.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Kokichi was walking around the courtyard.

“You’re… so… childish!” Kaito exclaimed at him. “Can’t you act serious for once in your life?!”

“Of course, I can! But that’s probably a lie.” He laughed.

Looking at each of them, something was wrong. “What’s the matter?” He asked.

“What do you mean, what’s the matter?” Kiibo murmured.

Everyone was here except for…

He backed up, covering his mouth. Everyone was staring at him with a look of fear. Their eyes were filled with terror and despair. They stared at him.

“What’s the matter, Kokichi?” They all asked at once.

Kokichi stumbled backwards, falling down. He sat up, attempting to crawl backwards as the groups of people hurried towards him. He shut his eyes tightly.

“What’s the matter, Kokichi?” A voice said. Kokichi opened his eyes to see Shuichi Saihara, the Ultimate Detective. He had blood trailing over his eyes. He was reaching out his hand to cover Kokichi’s face. His bloody palm covered Kokichi’s eyes.

And he woke up.

 

* * *

 

 

It was a nightmare. No… it was an exaggerated memory.

Kokichi looked at the clock. It was almost nine. He had been out for hours. He was still so tired. So, so _tired._

Exiting his room, he saw Gonta walking up to him.

“Ah, Kokichi! Gonta is happy to see you.” He smiled, waving. “Gonta’s insects are ready and very excited to meet friends!”

Kokichi was lagging a bit behind. “Oh… Oh! Right, yes! That’s great!” He smiled, but not earnestly. “It’s at your lab, right? I’ll meet you there!” He dashed away.

Entering the lab, he saw multiple people standing there. Tsumugi, Kiibo, Tenko, and Korekiyo were standing there, but Shuichi was laying on the ground. He walked over to the detective.

Looking at his face, he was not the same person that was in his memory. His face then was covered in blood. He looked almost malicious. Now, the person in front of him was peaceful and calm.

But his eyes were open.

“…Ah!” Shuichi gasped.

Kokichi hesitated. He forced a smile. “Morning, sleepyhead! You’re finally up, Shuichi.”

“Wh-What?”

“Oh! Are you going to ask…? Who am I? Where am I?” He glanced around. “Well, you’re definitely Shuichi Saihara. And this place? Hmm… Probably hell.”

“Hell?” Shuichi sat up and looked around. “This is…”

He stood up as Kokichi backed up from him. “Is this your doing, Kokichi? Did you make Gonta kidnap us?”

“Oh, no, not all of this.” He responded as honestly as possible. “I just told him that you all hated bugs… and he almost cried!” He didn’t, actually. “So, he wanted everyone to love bugs.”

“And that’s why we’re here! Welcome to the Insect Meet and Greet!” Kokichi exclaimed, stretching his arms out.

“You’re terrible! You tricked Gonta!” Tsumugi cried.

Kokichi looked down. Why did he do this? There was no reason to. He thought of a lie. “Isn’t this great?! I’m so evil… This is only something an evil leader could do!” He looked around. “I also wanted to see all of your motive videos… We could all watch them together!”

“Do you know what will happen if we do that?!” Kiibo asked.

“Uhm… everyone will know their motives and a killing will be more likely to happen?” He paused. “I don’t ever run from battles in RPGs. I want to win this killing game, not run from it! That’ll be way less boring, right?!”

“What the hell does that mean?” Shuichi looked confused.

“I tried to warn you all… You shouldn’t cooperate with each other. If I’m gonna do this, I might as well enjoy it the whole way!” He put on a childish voice. “If the thought of the killing game doesn’t get you excited, you’ll never win!’

Shuichi was looking right through him. He didn’t seem to see an evil smile. He just looked at him with concern.

Gonta entered the lab with Himiko and Angie by his side. “Thank you all for waiting! Gonta has brought Himiko and Angie!”

They went on about where the others were. Kirumi was sewing curtains and was asked to be left alone as she did so. Miu was able to escape using a… woman weapon…

“Anyways, this is enough people? Insect Meet and Greet ready to start!” Gonta shouted happily.

“Go ahead, Gonta. Show them how good bugs are. Now if you excuse me, I have to run an errand. Toodles!”

“Wait… you’re leaving?” Shuichi asked.

“Of course! Someone has to break into your rooms to get the _goods._ Lock picking is easy for an evil supreme leader such as myself.” He didn’t actually care to see motive videos. He just wanted to go away. “Alright, everyone! Have fun!”

Kokichi walked out of the classroom. Breaking into each individual room, he gathered the Monopads.

He slowly opened the door, seeing bugs flying everywhere. Gonta greeted him. “Hello, Kokichi! We have fun!” He looked around. “Everyone have fun!”

The young leader sighed. “As much as I’d love to, I think we should call it a day. The nighttime announcement just played, yeah?” He smiled. “The bugs get tired too, hm? A true gentleman should know how to moderate everything.”

“Oh… Gonta understand.”

“Alright. You clean up while I take care of the others.” Kokichi rubbed his head. He looked at the other students, who were are all helping each other get up and cleaned off from the bugs. He sighed, walking towards the door.

Kokichi was ready to leave, but Kiibo’s recording function played. ‘He’s an idiot!’ Kokichi’s voice echoed. ‘I just need him to gather everyone here…’

Gonta was furious. He looked at Kokichi. Kokichi stared at him. His eyes were filled with anger.

“Ah…” He mumbled. He was done for.

Tenko screamed. “Now! While we still can!” She snatched the Monopads and ran out of the room with everyone following her.

Kokichi turned to Gonta, who was looking furious. His bugs swarmed at him. A muffled scream escaped his body, but his vision quickly went black. Bugs surrounded him as he was engulfed in the sound of a buzz.

 

* * *

 

 

When he woke up, he was in his bed. He was covered in small scratches with a large white bandage on his left hand. On the nightstand was a note that said two words.

 

“Nice try.”

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 5! This was one of my favorites to write...   
> i hope you're all alright with how this one turned out! sorry if it's rushed, as usual. i want to get started on the "plot" asap~~
> 
> thank you all for reading, and thanks for the support <3


	6. Fish are Killers, Not Food

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> skeletons scare kokichi and he investigates a little before giving up

When he woke up, he was in his bed. He was covered in small scratches with a large white bandage on his left hand. On the nightstand was a note that said two words.

 “Nice try.” It said, neatly written in fine ink. The note was an index card folded in half, standing up to face him.

The bandages were fresh, though blood was bleeding through his hand very lightly. Kokichi looked at the small wounds that covered his body, each looking clean.

He rubbed his eyes, looking at the clock. It was morning. He remembered the conversation about Himiko’s magic show. She was saying it’d be today. It would be happening now, right? Perhaps there he’d see who had helped with his wounds.

Standing up, a sharp pain hit his head. He stood up too fast. If he was able to run, he may make it before the show started. In this condition, Kokichi would never make it.

Slowly and surely, Kokichi walked out of his room and towards the gymnasium. Nobody was to be found.

His footsteps echoed within the halls. Each noise he made sounded much louder then it actually was. Each step, each crinkle of grass, and even each breath could be heard much louder than usual.

He looked over at the dining hall. His stomach growled. He walked into the room, seeing it was empty. Turning to the pantry, he grabbed an apple that looked rather perfect. There were no scuffs or cuts on it, and the color was fair, too. The ripeness of the apple was almost impeccable. Taking a bite, the fruit was rather sweet.

It was dead quiet.

There was nobody around.

He was alone.

He was… alone?

That’s impossible.

He felt as though he was being watched.

And at that thought, a shallow gasp echoed throughout the halls. It was shallow enough to reach his location. The gymnasium was only down the hall. He flinched, grabbing a knife neatly placed for the sake of murder in self-defense. The apple fell to the floor.

Moments passed as Kokichi stood dead still. Without noticing, he wasn’t breathing.

Monokuma’s voice cut through his thoughts. “Dun dun dun duuuun!” The monitor clicked on to the bear drinking champagne. “A body has been discovered! Please assemble in the gymnasium!” The screen clicked off, leaving Kokichi once again in silence.

He shivered, mustering the strength of running to the gym. Bursting open the door, he was greeted with a large water tank filled with blood. He could make out a small skeleton floating among the fishes that swam within. Kokichi’s blood ran cold in horror. He saw a skeleton. A real skeleton. Ryoma. He saw the corpse of another one of his friends.

“Uwaaaaaaah!!!! I don’t understand?!” Tenko shouted.

Kokichi looked around, confused as to what had occurred in the gym in his absence. “Why don’t we break the tank…?” He murmured. “We need to check what’s inside.”

“Break it?!” Tsumugi intervened.

“Of course. It’ll take too long to drain by hand.” Kokichi shrugged.

Shuichi began to ask, “What would we use to break it—”

“Gonta! Kiiboy! It’s your turn!”

“W-Wha?!” Kiibo stuttered.

“Gonta, throw Kiiboy there like a battering ram into the tank.” It was logical enough… Though to torture the poor robot was terrible. Kokichi didn’t seem to care, though. He did a little, but something in him made him refrain from doing so.

As Kiibo protested, Gonta agreed extremely fast. Tenko agreed, also. They both helped pick up Kiibo and threw him into the glass, shattering it across the gym. Water fused with the blood of Ryoma spilling out onto the floor. It was a mess.

With the help of Kirumi, they were able to clean the mess up enough but keep the scene of the crime investigable. Kiibo gathered the body and belongings into one place. He looked quite melancholic. Gonta had collected the piranhas into a bucket so they wouldn’t cause further harm.

“This mustn’t have been an accident. Has the killing game started again?” Maki asked in place of everyone else.

“We promised! We all swore…” Kokichi cried. “We’d never let it start up again!” He pouted. “I guess THAT was a lie! You’re a bunch of liars! Apologize to Ryoma. He thought nobody else would be killed!”

Korekiyo shunned him. “Your tears prove you are the liar here.”

Something changed in Kokichi. “Oh, you figured that out? Good eye.”

Monokuma jumped out of nowhere and waved his “paws” around. “How’s it goin’, everyone? How’s it feel with another murder!?”

He had been rambling about excitement and the killing game. None of it was important. When he left, it was quiet.

Maki broke the silence. “I don’t think a child caregiver will be much help in the investigation.” She spoke, walking out of the gymnasium.

“Wait, Maki!” Shuichi started—but it was too late. He couldn’t stop the girl from walking away without flinching or even taking notice of his words.

Kokichi’s first suspect was Himiko. “Isn’t a bit obvious who the culprit is? Ryoma was murdered during a certain person’s magic show.” He faintly smiled. “I think we should be a bit more suspicious of that magical girl.”

“Nyeh…?!” Himiko gasped.

“However, she’s so suspicious that she isn’t even suspicious.” Kokichi shrugged.

“N-nyeh?!”

“But maybe she’s pretending to make herself suspicious, so we think she isn’t suspicious which makes her suspicious!!!”

“Geez, shut up already!” Tenko hissed at the boy.

Kokichi ignored the girl. “Can you tell us the trick behind your Underwater Disappearing Act?”

“It’s not possible to explain. It’s magic.” Himiko pouted.

“Magic?” Shuichi echoed.

“Himiko, if we want to find the culprit, we need your help.” Tsumugi reasoned with the little magician.

“My answer won’t change… even with whatever you say. It was magic.”

“Well… If you won’t tell us, I’ll just find out myself.” Kokichi smiled. “Actually, that sounds super fun!”

“Therefore, to solve this mystery, we must find out the secrets of the Escape Act.” Kirumi explained. “Very well.”

Kokichi walked out of the gymnasium. He had been holding in a headache the entire time, and seeing the skeleton made him feel worse. The killing game had most likely taken a toll on his health. He had random outbursts of cruelty that made it hard for people to attract to him, which was good. He couldn’t afford letting anyone know his secret.

He walked up the steps towards Himiko’s lab. Opening the door, he saw Tsumugi somehow investigating the objects inside as well. He didn’t question it and carried on.

Looking around, there was an empty tank inside of the room. It was a fish tank of some sort. It seemed as though this was where the piranhas were stored. Tsumugi was looking at a guillotine replica in the corner.

By looking at the fish tank, it seemed to be almost the same as the one in the gymnasium. The only difference was the size. The ratio was the same as well. There weren’t any clues as to how Himiko escaped from that.

The door behind him opened and Shuichi stepped in. He met Kokichi’s eyes, walking over. “Hey.” He spoke firmly.

“Ah, Shuichi! Hello, there!” Kokichi grinned. “Do you have any questions for me, perhaps?!”

“Yes, It’s about last night…”

Kokichi put a finger to his mouth. “Oh… you want to know what I was doing, right?” He thought about it. “I was collecting your videos, of course. I just took longer than I wanted to.”

“Why is that?”

“No reason! I was just taking my time, that’s all. It’s hard for a Supreme Leader of Evil to get into so many different rooms. Not to mention avoiding any people…”

“You were very late, you know… What people did you see?”

“I’m sorry… I didn’t see anyone, luckily…”

Shuichi sighed. He wasn’t getting anywhere. “You don’t have an alibi, you know. You’re not going to have evidence to back yourself up.”

Kokichi’s eyes widened. “You’re a detective, aren’t you? You’ll be able to find out who did it anyways. If you’re smart about it, you’ll be able to uncover the truth no matter what.” He smiled. “Yeah. You’ll search for the truth and you won’t hide from it.”

Shuichi flinched at Kokichi’s words. Kokichi, realizing what he said, covered his mouth. “Oh… I’m sorry. I—”

Before he could let himself finish, he ran away.

“K-Kokichi?!” Shuichi called.

“Shit…shit…shitshitshit!” Kokichi cursed under his breath as he ran. “God, why am I so dumb?! Another one of those stupid non-thinking pranks has gotten me into another goddamn mess… I can’t make any logical decisions anymore… God, how annoying am I?!”

Kokichi slowed down at the end of the hall. He was panting and extremely tired. “Phew…” He turned around, seeing nobody behind him. “I wasn’t followed…”

He walked towards his dorm to rest. He had been sleeping a lot more recently. He had been _running_ a lot more, too. As he opened the door to his room, he saw something was wrong…

Someone had been in his room.

The dust-covered comic was clean. The plate that once harbored his omelet was gone.

Kokichi, not knowing, turned around and locked the door. “Well, that’s one way to enter a room.”

“That’s also a terrible way to greet someone.”

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hihi everyone! thank you all so much for the support this story has been getting... I hope it's been interesting. I don't want kokichi to be the same character as he is in canon so I apologize if he seems a bit out of character. he's not as much of a trickster but a liar who doesn't know why they do it. call is compulsive lying but I feel like its different... anyways, I hope you enjoyed~~ see you next chapter <3


	7. Two Liars in The Cold Wind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kokichi does kokichi things

“Don’t you know it’s rude to arrive uninvited?”

Kokichi turned to the corner of his room, smiling as if to taunt something. His eyes gleamed in the faint darkness. Reaching out for the lights, he flicked up the switch to be greeted by Monokuma, who was standing in the center of the room.

“What do you want?” Kokichi asked exhaustedly. “I thought you’d be busy… I dunno, doing something that’s not bothering me?”

Monokuma laughed. “I’m not here because I want to be. I’m only here because I have to be. Consider this a gift.”

“I don’t want your gifts.” Kokichi retaliated. Monokuma, not really caring, walked up to Kokichi and gave him a small paper with the code “SIM670A3”. Without waiting for an answer, Monokuma popped away. “Wait a minute! What is…” The bear was gone.

Kokichi sighed, crumpling the paper and throwing it on his nightstand. He walked out of his room, suddenly not feeling safe in there. Right down the hall was Ryoma’s room. Taking slow steps, he reached to the doorknob, surprised to find that it was open. On the table was a Kub Pad—the one with Ryoma’s motive video. He carefully snatched it, proceeding to the door.

He heard footsteps going towards the dorms. Kokichi left the door cracked open hoping it would close on its own before dashing into his room and closing it as quietly as possible.

He had successfully obtained the motive video he needed. Turning it on, he was greeted with Monokuma’s crumby voice accompanied by big text saying “RYOMA HOSHI’S MOTIVE VIDEO”. Wearing a yellow construction cap, he appeared on the screen. Monokuma’s voice spoke through the speakers.

“Sorry, but there’s no one you care about and no one that cares about you! You have my deepest sympathies! Sorry!” The lights flickered, but the Monopad was off. That was the motive video.

Kokichi felt sick. Taking a deep breath, he turned to the mirror and said, “May he rest in peace… If there is any peace at all left for him.”

 

_You never cared about him._

The voice was harsh and distant, as though it was being spoken through a machine. Kokichi imagined the voice was of someone he would have met in high school. They would be the one kid who believed they were better then anything and everything. It was the type of voice that sounded mechanical.

 

“Wh… what?” Kokichi’s voice was lower then a whisper. His hands grabbed onto the bottom of his shirt. Not in fear, but in confusion. Had he gone insane at last?

The voice had not come back. Kokichi had decided that he should make note of it, but it may or may not just be some part of his mind that went haywire. Dismissing it, he turned his mind to the video he had seen moments ago. It made him feel quite lonely. It was second-hand, however. He wasn’t the lonely one, apparently.

What is it like to not have anyone that cares about you? Perhaps Ryoma had acknowledged the idea of dying because he was… that much more alone then everyone else in this Killing Game. Perhaps Ryoma had acknowledged that he had nothing to live for. Perhaps Ryoma was fine with dying.

Kokichi lay down on his bed, rolling onto his side and staring at the wall. He narrowed his eyes in thought. He knew that the trial would be occurring soon. Was there anything else for him to do?

Speaking of which, the monochromatic bear’s voice called for the assembly at the Shrine of Judgement. Kokichi stood up, grabbing the Monopad and hiding it in his shirt. He headed towards the shrine, feeling a bit more positive then usual. It was starting to get interesting again.

As the conversations around him halted, the Shrine opened to the elevator. He stepped in, the door suddenly closing behind him, encasing the students inside. They couldn’t leave now. One of them would end up never seeing the light of day again.

The elevator was not one of the ones at an office or at a public place. It was old, rickety, and made people feel sick. Every movement made on it made it shake. The “ride” lasted longer than it felt, and the students were opened up to the Trialroom once more.

Kokichi stepped up to his pedestal and listened as Monokuma welcomed them. He couldn’t help but admire the delicacy and overall beauty of the architecture.

“Wow, Monokuma. Really nice done with this place. It’s very well kept and decorated. Almost like it’s for show.” Kokichi smiled, making a small joke for himself before the trial started. “Go put it in an art museum, would you?”

“A show, huh? That’s a unique way of putting it.” Monokuma shrugged, looking at each student.

“Are you really showing this to the outside world?” Kirumi pressed on.

“Not like that’d be much. After all, _you guys_ are the only 13 humans left alive.” Monokuma laughed. “Now, now… Let’s settle down and see how you bargain for your own lives!”

Kokichi was first to talk. “Alright, because this incident occurred during the magic show, the only culprit could be—”

“Himiko seems suspicious.” Angie butted in, possibly unintentionally. Kokichi was in the mood to refute that.

“H-Hey!!! Angie, how could you put Himiko under the bus?!” Tenko cried. “There’s no way she could have killed Ryoma.”

Angie looked up. She was still smiling. “Um… I am only saying what Atua tells me.” She suddenly looks much creepier. It was almost out of her character. “His word is helping us survive… You should thank Him, lest He pour His holy wrath upon you all.”

“Screw Atua! He has nothing to do with me!” Tenko responded. “I’ll protect Himiko!”

“However, it does make it seem as though Himiko is the most suspicious.” Kirumi went on as though that hadn’t happened.

“Yes, the murder occurred during her magic show.” Kiibo agreed.

“It is only natural that we suspect the magician behind the show.” Korekiyo was deep in thought.

“N-no… The Underwater Escape Act wasn’t a trick. It was my magic!” Himiko sounded as though she was reading a script. A poorly acted one, at that.

“That’s not what you should be denying here! Tell us why you aren’t the culprit!” Kaito pushed her.

“Magic, huh? That’s so cool…” Angie smiled at the young magician. “Now tell me, Himiko. Did you kill Ryoma? Atua is listening.”

“Stop that! That’s not true.” Tenko defended.

Kokichi stepped in. “It’s true, though! Himiko used the Underwater Escape Act to kill Ryoma! It’s a shame I don’t have a clue to how she did it, though…”

“But it really was ma—”

“Oh, shut up. If you keep saying that we’ll just vote you as the culprit.” Maki stared at the girl. Her eyes were hard as stone.

“Stop saying Himiko is the murderer! She’s too… cute… and tiny… and—”

“I get you want to help her, but that’s a bit much.” Tsumugi sighed, shaking her head in honest sympathy.

_Are you stupid?_

‘…What?’

 

_It’s too obvious that Himiko is the culprit. Step up your game, or I will._

‘Who are you?’

 

There was no answer. Kokichi decided he _was_ in fact mentally challenged and somehow decided to keep going. The conversation went on, and Shuichi had finally engaged himself in the conversation.

“I believe that Ryoma was drowned before the show had started. If you can recall, he had not made any movements whatsoever as he was in the tank.”

“Could that mean his body was hidden?” Kiibo asked.

“Where?” Gonta questioned.

“Perhaps there was a place on stage where the culprit could hide the body?” Kokichi directed at Himiko. “You should know—since you were the performer and all.”

“Why won’t you just explain it to us?” Kaito rubbed the back of his head.

“I told you, it was magic.”

“…Shut up.” Maki sighed.

“Kehehe… Himiko is truly dedicated to her act.” Korekiyo chuckled. “However, those who perform in dreams are typically the ones who never speak anything else.”

“So… Himiko not use real magic?!” Gonta exclaimed.

“It was magic… maaagiic…. Maaaaaagiii—”

“We get it.” Maki hissed.

Shuichi and Tenko began to hit it off. They were going back and forth at each other with debate. “What makes you so sure she… didn’t just use a hatch in the tank?”

“There would be water everywhere!” Tenko rebutted.

“But… there was water on the staircase.” Kokichi mumbled. Nobody had heard him. “There was water on the staircase, wasn’t there?”

Shuichi looked at him, somewhat grateful. “That’s right! Try to remember how the staircase was positioned regarding the escape hatch.” He smiled, closing his eyes. “Knowing this, we can find out how Himiko’s trick had worked.”

Glancing at Himiko, Kokichi saw her face was twisted in sadness. Knowing her trick would be found out, she lowered her hat over her eyes.

“There was a curtain covering the water. Himiko would slip into the staircase. This is why there was minimal water…” Shuichi opened his eyes. “The water would funnel inside!”

“How would you leave the escape hatch?” Tsumugi asked.

“There was another escape hatch on the other side of the staircase. We couldn’t see it, but it was there…”

“The way that its positioned, water wouldn’t leave the staircase.” Kiibo seemed to be pleased with this conclusion.

Korekiyo added, “Being in water would make a person soaked. That’s why when Himiko stepped out, water hit the floor. That’s why there’s a puddle there.”

“Haha! Bitch! Caught you soaked and red handed.” Miu was sure Himiko was the culprit. The look in her eyes made it clear.

Himiko’s podium moved to the center. She looked around in fear.

Kokichi shifted his shoulders. “Judging by her reaction, you hit the bulls-eye.”

“However, Himiko’s clothing would be wet when she left the water tank.” Tenko added.

“Of course! My clothes weren’t wet because it was magic.” Himiko pouted.

“It was because she changed her uniform.” Shuichi suggested.

Angie nodded. “Yes, yes. I saw her enter the gymnasium with a towel and a uniform.”

“Nyeeeh!”

“Her hair is far too short and with her hat, we would never be able to tell her hair wasn’t fully dry.” Korekiyo looked at the girl with a gleam in his eyes.

“Himiko… give it up, already.” Kaito said softly.

“…” The girl was quiet. She stared at the floor. “Fine… You win. It’s just as you said it.”

“So, I was correct.” Maki sighed.

“Let’s move on.” Korekiyo pushed.

As the trial went on, it was discovered that the body may have been hidden inside of the bookcase, but that would mean Himiko would have seen it.

“…that would mean the body and the piranhas were separated.”

“That’s right!” Shuichi acknowledged Korekiyo’s words.

“There was a glass pane separating the two. This would mean when the piranhas fell, so did the body. We… just didn’t see it.”

“Gonta knew it!”

“What do you mean?” Tsumugi tipped her head.

“Gonta was on stage when piranhas fell… When piranhas fell, Gonta thought he see something big fall into the water.”

The trial carried on. Miu had exclaimed they were back to square one, which had sparked a small debate.

“We’re not back to square one,” Kokichi exclaimed. “We just need to look at those who do not have alibis.”

“So, you?!” Miu hissed.

“No, I know for a fact Kokichi wasn’t the culprit.” Shuichi defended.

Kokichi narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean?”

Shuichi looked away, closing his eyes in thought. “The night of the murder was also the night of the Insect Meet and Greet.” He looked at Gonta as he spoke. “Afterwards, Kokichi was punished for his quite cruel lies to Gonta. By the time I had gotten back to make sure everything was alright, Kokichi was in the middle of the floor covered in wounds.”

“Wh-what?!” Kokichi stuttered.

“Hahaha! A few little bugs can make you pass out?!” Miu chirped in.

He remained silent. Dead quiet. Didn’t move a muscle. He just stared into the distance.

“…The murder had occurred during nighttime, it seems. Before it, actually.” Shuichi carried on.

The students began discussing the proper time of death. It had been narrowed down to whoever was the last person to see Ryoma’s timing. Kirumi stated this was Gonta. This was when he was inviting people to the Meet and Greet. Eventually, it was decided that the time of death was between 8 o’clock and 10 o’clock at night. The only people who didn’t have alibis for this time were Kirumi, Kaito, Miu, and Maki.

“Wow, Kirumi! You’re so honest—even if it ends up screwing you over.” Kokichi giggled.

“It is my duty to seek the truth for everyone. I do not care if I am suspected.” She replied earnestly.

It was brought down to only Kaito and Maki without alibis.

“…It must be either of them, then!” Kokichi concluded. He looked around, thinking. Something inside of him rose up, and he suddenly felt cold. “Let’s have the two of them go at it, then. The innocent obviously know who the murderer is, now.” His breath began to quiver. “If you want to expose a liar, then you have to do it **psychologically.** ” He laughed maliciously. “Only then will we find the culprit hidden behind a layer of lies!”

Kaito exchanged looks with Shuichi, who was looking at Kokichi dead-on. He looked concerned at the idea.

“If we want to expose a liar, then I suggest having the two suspects debate each other.” He finished.

“We just have to find a contradiction!” Kiibo mumbled, clearly still only half-listening due to thought.

Kokichi was freezing. “We’ll catch the culprit and scare them until they screw up!” It was cold. Why was it so cold?

A warm hand touched his cheek. It was… calming.

 

_Do not lose your control._

In an instant, Kokichi gave one of his creepy smiles. “That’s how a class trial works…” He looked towards the bear.

“Right, Monokuma?”

“This development is interesting… carry on.”

“Yep, I totes agree!”

Kaito intervened. “You’re agreeing with Monokuma?! Whose side are you on, Kokichi?!”

“Huuuh? I’m on _your_ side. I don’t wanna die either, you know?!” He did a small spin. “That’s why we have to take this seriously!”

“…How do you expect us to start this?” Maki inquired.

“…” Kokichi looked away. “Hehehe…” He laughed. “If you need help, I’ll give you the first topic…” He pulled out the Monopad that contained Ryoma’s motive video. “Ta-daaa! Ryoma Hoshi’s motive video!”

“So—it was you who took the motive video from his room… Not the culprit!” Shuichi was surprised. “You should’ve said so earlier.”

“The only reason I brought this out is…” He hesitated. No… He waited for dramatic effect. “Because the culprit was the one who had his motive video!”

“It was… Maki’s that Ryoma had, correct?” Shuichi asked a rhetorical question. He knew already.

“Oh! How’d you guess!” He paused. “Wait, I know! It’s because _you_ had Kaito’s, right, Shuichi?!” Kokichi looked the detective right in the eye. Kokichi’s eyes were wider than usual.

“What about it?” Maki murmured. “Just because I had his motive video doesn’t mean I’m automatically the culprit.”

“Neeheehee… You finally decided to join in. Go on! This is how a debate should be.” Kokichi nodded his head at the two. “Let’s start this death debate!” He tilted his head up, looking down on everyone else.

“Wait a minute, what ar—” Shuichi started.

“Quit screwing around! We’re not going to debate to see who the culprit is! I’m not the culprit, that’s all I know!” Kaito butted.

“Wait a minute, Kaito… Perhaps Kokichi is wrong—”

“Maki isn’t the culprit either!” Kaito exclaimed.

“…What?” Maki looked over.

“Just a hunch.” Kaito smiled.

“…A hunch?” Kokichi echoed. “You’re placing our lives on a _HUNCH_?!” Kokichi was furious.

“This isn’t just any hunch. This is an official hunch from the Luminary of the Stars, Kaito Momota!”

“How illogical. This is worse then some of Kokichi’s stunts.” Kiibo shook his robotic head in disappointment.

“You can’t be that stupid, right?” Kokichi sighed.

“No… he might actually be that stupid!” Tenko mumbled.

Shuichi rubbed his face. “I’ll believe in Maki as well.” He had ignored everyone who called Kaito an idiot. It was a sincere reaction.

“That’s Kaito, right? Making us think with our hearts.” Shuichi gave a slight, sad smile.

Kokichi was starting to warm up again. The only thing left was the warm hand that was on his cheek. It turned cold. He kept quiet for a bit.

“I met up with Ryoma last night.” Maki admitted.

“So Ryoma was still alive at nighttime?!” Kiibo shouted.

“That is wrong. I met up with him during nighttime.” Maki continued.

“But why would Maki wait so long to mention this?” Kiibo thought aloud.

Maki went on. “It seems Ryoma and I had each other’s motive videos. Seems pretty fishy, right? I wanted to avoid suspicion.”

“You weren’t in the mood?” Tsumugi seemed confused.

As the trial went on, Kirumi became the most suspicious. Kokichi looked at her and smiled, suddenly putting on a childish act. “What’s wrong, Kirumi? Hey, what’s wrong? Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!”

“Perhaps… Kaito and Maki do not have alibis… They worked together to perform this…” Kirumi shook.

It was quickly reduced to Kirumi as the culprit. Shuichi explained the murder—how she had prepared the overnight death, the piranhas, the timing…

Voting quickly passed. Kirumi was truly the culprit.

“Gonta no can believe it…” Gonta cried.

Kirumi had gone on to explain her motives. She was truly the prime minister behind the scenes. She wanted to escape to help her country as much as possible. It was admirable to a certain extent.

“My request will not be fulfilled until I have brought joy to every citizen of my nation.” She explained. “No matter what, I must live.”

“It’s… PUNISHMENT TIME!”

Kirumi shouted at the top of her lungs, running as fast as she could. “I WILL NOT DIIIIIIE!”

Something arose within the students. “Run, Kirumi!” They all shouted.

 

She ran.

 

She didn’t escape.

 

She died an ungraceful death.

 

Kokichi was sick.

 

He felt so… so very sick.

 

He felt so sick, he wanted to pass out.

 

He almost did, actually. He fell over and struggled to stand up. Amidst the shock of the execution, nobody had helped him up. He had helped himself up.

Kokichi was once again freezing. This time, they went up the elevator in silence. It was even colder up on the surface.

“What’s wrong, Gonta?” Tsumugi asked.

“Gonta is calmed by the stars. The stars are… different. Gonta no can remember seeing any of those stars before.”

Nobody took much notice to this. Kaito suggested they all went to their dorms.

“Oh, hold on a moment. I have to say something.” Kokichi objected.

“What now?” Kaito sighed.

His face was filled with malice. “Now, now. It won’t take that long. Just listen.”

“What is it you have to say, then?” Korekiyo pressed.

“Everyone seems to be treating me as some sort of compulsive liar…” He continued. “But that’s ridiculous! There’s a way way WAY worse liar in our group!” Kokichi finished.

“A liar worse then you?” Shuichi echoed.

Kokichi paused. He wasn’t _that bad_ , was he? “I’m talking about **Maki**.”

“What?” Maki looked over at the sound of her name.

“What do you mean, Maki’s a liar?!” Kaito walked over.

“She said so, right? Ryoma wanted to see his motive video since he wanted a reason to live. That’s not the whole story though, right? Wasn’t Ryoma _blackmailing_ you, Maki? Ryoma just so happened to find out Maki’s true identity.” He laughed. “I bet he said… ‘If you don’t show me, I’ll tell everyone what you really are.’ Or something like that. That’s why she didn’t want us to know she met with Ryoma.” He laughed, much louder. “She wanted to keep her **true identity** secret!”

“Wha… What shit are you trying to make of Maki’s identity, you li—” Kaito started.

“Neeheehee, I’ve known the whole time!”

Maki was staring at Kokichi with malicious intent. In that instant, she swooped over and held Kokichi by the throat. It was so fast, nobody knew she was moving until she was there.

“How… interesting…” Kokichi choked out. “You won’t… kill me in front of everyone here… right? You’d much rather… kill… from the shadows.”

“Hey, Maki, what the hell’s going on?!” Kaito exclaimed.

“Y-yeah… you could probably snap my neck right now. I’d be dead right here… You won’t… though…”

He smiled despite his situation. Staring Maki in the eyes, he spoke.

“Right, Miss Ultimate Assassin?”

Maki let go of Kokichi. She walked off without another word, taking fast paced steps to escape. Her eyes were filled with the opposite of confidence. She was scared.

Kokichi fell to the floor, coughing. His body was frozen for a moment before slowly regaining warmth. He looked around, his eyes wide. “There you have it…” He choked out, attempting to stand up.

“Wait a minute, Kokichi… How did you know this?” Shuichi asked as he began to walk away.

“…I don’t know…” Kokichi whispered.

 

“Just a hunch.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what a long chapter!!! probably the longest yet(?) writing in new lines or altering old ones to keep to the canon story is super entertaining! i hope that the story is still interesting for you all... it's starting to pick up now (' w ') thank you all so very much for your support!!!


	8. Encounter with a Hiveminded Individual

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sushi finds kokichi doing kokichi things

It was the day after the class trial. Nearly all of the students were assembled in Maki’s lab—but Maki herself was nowhere to be found.

“What… the hell is all of this?” Kaito stumbled, looking around the room in awe.

Rightfully so. The room was littered in various weapons ranging from knifes to full on katanas.

“It’s like… warehouse of weapons.” Gonta looked a bit scared.

Kokichi snickered. “See, see! I told you all she wasn’t an Ultimate Child Caregiver! She’s the… Ultimate Assassin! Neeheehee! How cool!”

Shuichi looked over. “You learned that… by a hunch?” He didn’t seem truly convinced.

“Ah, yeah! I guess I was pretty darn lucky, huh?” Kokichi laughed in response. “Good thing I was right, otherwise I’d be creamed!” He cast a look at Kaito, who was staring at a large red cloak on display. “Though if you want the truth, I only found out because of my position. I’d obviously find out before any of you.” He lied.

“…Your position?” Shuichi asked.

Kokichi smiled. “Oh, fear not, young Detective! That was a lie.” He did a spin. “Anyways, her reaction is what gave it away.”

“However, what is her reasoning behind hiding her true identity from us?” Korekiyo continued the conversation.

Miu laughed arrogantly. “Ahaha! It’s because assassins always hide in the shadows, idiot! If people know their identity, they’ll be too scared to kill anyone!”

“Was she planning to hurt us?” Tsumugi shivered.

“If that’s the case then why hasn’t she already killed one of us?” Kiibo intervened.

Kokichi shrugged. “If you’re so worried, go ask her. She’s been in her room all day.” He laughed once more. “I can’t promise she won’t hurt you like she did to me… Neeheehee, good thing everyone was there to stop her—otherwise I may not have ended up here yet again!” He ended.

“The talent of a killer is the one that we may fear the most due to our endless hunger to survive.” Korekiyo nodded his head as if to agree with himself.

The others began to plan locking Maki somewhere so she “wouldn’t kill anyone”. Kokichi didn’t think that was a very good idea.

“Hold on, guys. Leave her to me.” Kaito demanded. “Tch… Ultimate Assassin my ass.”

Before Shuichi could speak, Kokichi said, “O—kay then! Let’s leave Maki to Kaito!”

Monokuma suddenly appeared out of a floor board. “Hello, hello! Spare your reactions, please! We need as much time as possible. You’ve all reached a certain goal I’ve set after the 2nd class trial, so I’ll give you a reward!”

“Does this have anything to do with…” Kokichi trailed off.

“To do with what?” Shuichi asked.

“Nothing, nothing… Carry on, Monokuma.”

“…” The bear paused. “Here we are, then! A Golden Hammer! A Magic Key! A Ninja Scroll! All for the price of one!” He cheered.

“I knew it would be more junk…” Kiibo sighed.

Kokichi’s temperature dropped drastically in a matter of seconds. His mouth moved on its own. “Aww man… We had too much junk here already… Its name is Kiibo.”

“Y-You’ve gone too far! We can’t allow such robophobic language!” Kiibo complained.

“Stop, stop! No fighting while I’m here!” Monokuma protested. “Anyhoo, you can use these items to explore the school. I’ve also hidden one Flashback Light around the school—so maybe you’ll find it!” The robotic bear waved his arms as he disappeared.

“God… that robot is so annoying! I have too much human pride to be bossed around by one. I think we should eradicate all robots from this world at once!” Kokichi pouted.

Kiibo seemed furious. “I have recorded your words and will submit them to the proper authorities.”

“So, what will we do?” Kaito asked. “We have these new areas to explore.”

“I find myself more interested in a Flashback Light. I’ll look around for it.” Korekiyo suggested.

“If that’s the case, we’ll deal with murder girl later.” Kokichi shook his head, regaining a bit of warmth. He walked out of the room, taking fast-paced steps to leave.

He headed towards the stairs, carefully taking his steps as he crossed into less familiar areas. It was as though his mind was incapable of forgetting the terror he had witnessed prior to his… rebirth? It was proven not to be his imagination. He had seen it all.

Without noticing, he had bumped into Shuichi.

“Ah…” The detective wasn’t paying attention, either.

“Oh!” Kokichi flicked his charisma on. “Have you finally realized that everything I do, I do for you guys?”

“…What do you mean?”

“Well… I _did_ risk my life showing Maki’s true identity, didn’t I?” He smiled as honestly as possible. “Anyways, who knows? She may be plotting our demise as we speak! I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to see another murder!”

Shuichi sighed, walking away. He shook his head as he left, mumbling unintelligible words under his breath.

Moments later, he heard a loud noise coming from down the hall. Kokichi walked over to the sound, making sure of no sudden movements. Behind the corner stood Shuichi, Korekiyo, Tsumugi, and Gonta. A door had just been opened.

Kokichi walked up the stairs, seeing the door to another lab was open. He looked inside, seeing a bright golden katana that Korekiyo and Shuichi were looking at. He gasped at it. It was… mesmerizing, to say the least.

_Why not go and touch it?_

Without thinking, Kokichi ran up to the katana. “Oh, cool! I wanna take a look-see!”

“Wait, you mustn’t touch it without—”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be careful with it!” Kokichi exclaimed. “Would I lie to you?” He opened the katana to be greeted by an actual sword. “Oh, wow! The real deal! It’s even gold plated.” He hesitated, his eyes narrowing. With a smile, he added. “It could also be used as a murder weapon.”

“Kokichi, that is a valuable relic. Please treat it lightly, or…” Korekiyo started. “I will tear out your nerves.”

Kokichi put the sword back with a shiver. He backed up. “O-okay… I’m sorry… Please don’t h-hurt me…” His hands were covered in gold. “Oh, wow… It’s really authentic!”

“Yes, yes. It’s very old. Gold leaf flakes easily.” The anthropologist didn’t seem amused. “In any event, please don’t touch any further relics. They’re all very fragile.” He stared at the supreme leader. “If you do, I _will_ tear out your nerves.”

“I-I-I get it… Please stop threatening me…” Kokichi sniffled.

Shuichi and Korekiyo looked at each relic as Kokichi did as he was told. He didn’t touch anything. He simply investigated.

As Shuichi left, Kokichi followed him. He, too, wanted to explore the area. As he turned another corner, he swathe detective talking to himself.

“I should probably investigate…”

“Oh! Mr. Detective, what have you found?! A lab?!” Kokichi chanted as he jumped over.

“The lab door is locked, for some reason.” Shuichi explained.

“There’s another entrance on the other side, if I remember correctly.” Kokichi somehow already knew there was. He didn’t know _how_ he knew. He just did. This area wasn’t unlocked in the previous killing game. He didn’t know this area yet. It was odd. “But that door was locked, too…”

“Then how will we get in?” Shuichi sighed.

“Don’t worry—I’ll use my own secret—”

The door unlocked.

Angie poked her head out. “Yaha! Hello! Can I help you?”

“Angie? You were here already?” Shuichi rubbed his head in confusion.

“It’s weird to chat in here. Let’s go inside…” Kokichi suggested.

“Oh! Come in, come in!” Angie opened the door for the two to enter.

The lab was a clean white. Black paint splats were scattered across the wall. Paint supplies were arranged on the floor. It was truly an artist’s paradise.

“But… why does the room have locks?” Shuichi asked.

“In order to fully involve myself in Atua’s art, I must be alone.” Angie explained. “Nyahahaha! Atua is far too shy to be around others!”

“Is there a key?” Shuichi looked at the door.

“No, no. There is no key. It can only be locked from the inside.” Angie nodded her head.

“I guess that’s fine then.” Kokichi shrugged.

_It’s not fine._

 

Kokichi backed up at the sound of that voice. He left the room in a flash, covering his mouth so he didn’t explode in questions.

“Who are you? What do you want from me?” Kokichi hissed under his breath.

 

_You know who I am. I know who you are. We know each other._

“I—I don’t know who you are!” Kokichi whispered even louder. “I have no clue! You’re just some stupid voice and I’m going insane.”

 

_That’s a little far there, liar._

“...What?”

 

There was no reply. Kokichi was alone, yet again.

“Kokichi, what’s the matter?” Shuichi spoke behind him.

“What? You followed me?” Kokichi gasped. “What do you want, _detective_?”

Shuichi looked confused. “Wha? You just left the lab unexpectedly. Do you not expect me to be at least a tad bit concerned?”

Kokichi bit his thumb in irritation. “You wouldn’t get it anyway—who knows if I’m lying to you or not. Just go away.”

“I…” Shuichi rubbed his head. “I’m not going to go away if you’re just going to act like this. As you said—I’m a detective. I’ll find out either way, so it’s best you speak now before I investigate.”

Kokichi shook his head, taking steps back. “I’m not lying right now. I’m a Supreme Leader—I—” His body went cold. “I’m the mastermind.”

“…What?”

“I’m the mastermind, of course!” He started to warm up, suddenly feeling much more relaxed. “But that’s just a lie.”

Shuichi looked at him with concern. “You’re not okay.”

“Wha—of course I’m okay! I’m a leader—I have to lead my people to victory!” Kokichi pouted. He was acting like a child. “Let me lead with my evil powers!”

Shuichi walked up to him. For every step he took, Kokichi took a step back until he hit the wall. Looking at Kokichi in the eyes, he suddenly stepped back as he saw his reaction.

“Are you… afraid of me?” Shuichi asked.

Memories flooded into Kokichi. He remembered the blood, the face before Shuichi’s death, the executions, the victory, the woman the——————.

Kokichi just stared back at the detective, his eyes wide with fear. He thought of words to say. Words just didn’t come out.

Shuichi rubbed his eyes, looking away with his hand on his chin in thought. “So, you are, huh. That’s odd.” He looked at Kokichi with a slight, awkward smile. “I thought Supreme Leaders weren’t afraid of anything.”

Kokichi hesitated. He smiled. “Of course, I’m not afraid of you! I am the Supreme Leader of Evil! I’m not afraid of anything! Not even a measly detective.”

Shuichi smiled more earnestly. “Yes, I had thought so.” He looked at Kokichi, seeing the small gray lines under his eyes. “Have you just… not been sleeping? Or have you been an insomniac?”

He had slept multiple times, just not as much as he had wanted to. Whenever he did sleep he had gotten nightmares. Taking a smile, he answered the detective. “I’ve slept fine!” He lied.

Shuichi tilted his head. He didn’t believe him. “Whatever you say, I guess.” He turned away. “If you want to talk, you can find me.” He walked away.

Kokichi sighed, rubbing his left eye.

‘Not like he’d believe me, anyways.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the plot is HAPPENING folks, I repeat IT IS HAPPENING! :o
> 
> chap. 3 (in-game story) is when saiouma actually starts to appear more prominently, so if that's what you're here for you're in luck! (what else would you read this for lmao)
> 
> thank you all for your support of this series!  
> happy 69 kudos <3


	9. The Hiveminded Individual's Lament

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kokichi talks to voice in head a little bit

For minutes, Kokichi just stood there. He didn’t look at anything, he didn’t think about anything. He just stood there, waiting for something he didn’t even know. Perhaps it was the voice again. Perhaps it was Shuichi. Perhaps he was waiting for someone to randomly appear next to him and strike him in the head. Whatever the case may be, he was too occupied in _nothing_ to do _something_. After minutes, he finally started walking again. Kokichi came across a large computer room with a large box in the middle. Shuichi was looking into an opened treasure chest, pulling out the Flashback Light they had learned about before.

“Oh! You found the Flashback Light!” Kokichi exclaimed, dashing over in a fit of excitement. “Wow! You’re pretty dependable—despite that lame face of yours. I can admire that!”

“Uh… yeah.” Shuichi was busy investigating the rest of the treasure chest that he didn’t really listen to Kokichi’s rambles.

“I’ll get the others, Kokichi.” Shuichi dismissed him. “Meet in the dining hall.” He stood up and walked away.

Kokichi looked on after him, turning his head to the giant box in the middle of the room. There was a screen on it. He didn’t know what it was for, and nothing really explained that. He shrugged, pushing a strand of hair out of his face before heading to the dining hall, where multiple students were already waiting.

“Shuichi! Is it true you found the Flashback Light?” Kiibo asked.

“Yes, it’s true.”

“I want to start talking about we’re going to do, but Kaito isn’t here yet…” Tsumugi looked at the door hopefully. “Or Maki, for that matter.”

“Hey—Miu, Kiiboy. Did you see that giant computer on the fourth floor?” Kokichi asked the two of them.

“Computer, you say? Go on…” Miu looked at the boy with interest sparking in her eyes. She was finally invested in something Kokichi had said.

Shuichi nodded. “Yeah, there was a computer room up there. We can take a look later. You or Kiibo may know something about it.”

“I apologize. I’m not good with computers…” Kiibo spoke with a sad, depressed tone. He was obviously embarrassed that a robot didn’t know how to work his own kind.

“T-that’s… unexpected.” Tsumugi admitted.

Korekiyo spoke next. “I have been meaning to ask, but… Kiibo, what exactly _is_ your Ultimate Talent?”

The robot shook his head. “Well… I can do a bunch of things. L-like one-man comedy shows!”

Kokichi’s breath was so cold that it shown in the air. “Kiiboy’s existence is his own Ultimate Talent. Other then that, he’s pretty useless.”

“I just told you I’m good at one-man comedy shows!” Kiibo protested.

“I don’t really get it, but we need to check out that computer room, right?” Miu interrupted. “But I’m not just gonna go for a computer. I’m gonna get way more than that!”

“Hey! Thanks for waiting!” Kaito entered the room. Behind him was the Ultimate Assassin. Maki was there.

“M-Maki?! Why is Maki here?!” Tenko cried.

“Well, this is about the Flashback Light, right? Let’s focus on that.” Kaito suggested. “Everyone needs to be here.”

“By everyone, you mean to include a professional killer?” Korekiyo let out a small burst of laughter.

“I’m leaving.” Maki turned to face the door.

“Hold on a sec, Maki!” Kaito grabbed Maki’s arm as she walked away.

“Kaito, didn’t _you_ say you wanted to take down her mask?” Kokichi asked, smiling in arrogance.

Kaito nodded. “That’s right! I’m taking down her mask as a murderer. I can’t believe a girl like Maki is capable of killing people in cold blood.”

“Are you really the Ultimate Assassin, Maki? Have you killed anyone before?” Kiibo lowered his shoulders.

“…Yes.” Maki said bluntly.

“Why you hide that?” Gonta murmured.

“It’s so she could kill us before we knew her identity!” Miu shouted.

“No… It’s because I knew you all would act this way.” Maki answered them. “When people learn of my Ultimate Talent, they all have the same fear in their eyes…”

Kokichi halted. Maki had said “the same fear in their eyes”. He knew what she meant. Every day he had noticed their eyes. They terrified him.

“That fear turns into hatred. And then someone will try to kill me because they would be scared I’d kill them first.” Maki finished.

“That’s not—” Shuichi looked away.

“It always happens.” Maki didn’t let him finish. “The moment they learn who I am, they try to kill me. Always.”

“Humm… You’ve lived a pretty… sad life, there, Maki.” Kokichi tipped his head to the right. “Oh… poor, poor Maki. I’m so sorry! I think I’m gonna cry…” He paused, smiling. “Oh, I see! Because of your experiences, human life has no value to you now, is that it?!”

“She’s an assassin. Not a murderous fiend.” Kaito defended.

“Hey, can you let go of me now?” Maki interrupted. Kaito was still holding her arm so she wouldn’t leave.

“Oh. Sorry.”

Maki let out a sigh. “I knew you wouldn’t believe me. That’s why I kept it a secret and tried to avoid you guys as much as I could. But **someone** kept pushing me.” She glanced at Kaito. “However, I will say… I have no intention of killing any of you… unless one of you tries to kill me first. You probably won’t believe me anyways. So, you guys mind your business, I’ll mind mine, and we’ll all agree to avoid each other. Please pretend I’m not even here.” Maki walked out of the dining hall.

What started out as a threat turned into a sob story. Those last few words made Kokichi sick. They were all supposed to work together to end the Killing Game. Not even one of them shouldn’t take part.

“…Shall we get started, then? We’ve gathered for Flashback Light, yes?” Korekiyo turned to Shuichi.

“Yes! We may be able to find out more about the Ultimate Hunt.” Himiko answered.

“Well… we don’t know if that’s why we’re trapped here.” Shuichi explained.

“Then let’s give it a try. Shuichi, go for it.” Kiibo spoke.

Shuichi nodded, slowly flicking on the Flashback light. As he did, Kokichi fell backwards. Everything went white. He couldn’t see anything. Everything was just… white. Within that whiteness, a scene began to unfold. He saw a large funeral, flowers arranged in every possible part of the home. Candles were lit next to each portrait. And each portrait had the face of one of the Ultimate Students. Kokichi’s eyes trailed from one student to the next, slowly finding his portrait. He hadn’t died. He had lived. He’s here right now. He killed them all, but why was his face next to his victims?

‘They were so young and talented… How could this happen?’ A voice spoke in the back of his head. It echoed throughout his mind, the words seeping into his conscience. ‘It seemed to be an accident. They were running away from _that group_. Was it really just an acci—t—ou—” The words began to glitch out in some of Error.

His eyes shot open. He was on the floor in a semi-fetal position. He didn’t regain movement in his body, but he slowly moved his fingers regaining a bit of warmth. Kokichi’s breathing was shallow, and his heart was only pumping slowly. He had seen the funeral for himself and the other students.

“That’s… not possible.” He made the words come out. “That’s not possible at all!” He shot up, standing as fast as possible. This caused Kokichi to almost fall over, black spots appearing in his vision. He stood up too fast. “We’re… we’re not dead. I’m not dead—I—”

“Wha—” Shuichi woke up. “I was at my own funeral?!”

“You too, Shuichi?!” Tsumugi cried.

“It seems as though we all remembered the same thing.” Korekiyo said.

“But what the fuck does it mean?!” Miu hissed. “Why was I watching your guys’ funeral—and—and why was I there, too?!”

_How does it feel, Kokichi?_

‘What, you know my name now, too?’

_Of course. Didn’t I tell you we both know each other very well?_

‘You’re just lying to me.’

_Now, now. Didn’t you want to see me, anyways?_

‘…’

_There is something wrong here, isn’t there?_

‘What do you mean?’

_You saw the Ultimate Hunt. Your own funeral. You’re an Ultimate. You must have died during the Ultimate Hunt along with the others. But that’s not true, you say. You’re living right now. But are you, really? How are you so sure that what you’re doing right now isn’t real? How else would we have a robotic bear controlling an entire school?_

‘…’

_I suppose you don’t know what I mean. That’s a shame. It seems the others are learning more without you. I guess you just don’t care about surviving then. Now, if you remember, there is an arrangement of weaponry scattered throughout the school—it’s not that hard to find one and stab yourself in the head. Maybe then I’ll finally get some peace around here._

‘Shut up. I’m not gonna kill myself. That’s stupid.’

_Au contraire, my friend. You practically killed everyone around you! That’s not stupid, is it? You remember it all too well. Their faces, the warm blood… Oh joy, you enjoyed it, didn’t you?_

‘Get out…’

“Get out of my head!” Kokichi hissed, putting both of his hands on his head in frustration. Tears—actual tears—had begun to form, leaving Kokichi extremely worked up.

“…Who are you talking to?” Shuichi asked. Everyone was staring at him.

Kokichi looked around, his eyes wide with fear. “Ah… I’m sorry…”

_You’re not sorry._

“No—I am sorry—stop interfering.” He spoke quietly.

Shuichi was looking at the boy with concern. He walked over, searching for something in Kokichi’s eyes. “Are you okay?”

“Leave him be, Shuichi…” Kaito sighed. “Maybe he’s finally gone insane. Not the first time I thought so.”

Shuichi looked at Kaito with a worried gaze. He rubbed his eye, nodding his head as he walked back to the group.

Kokichi looked at the others, covering his right eye which had a tear falling. He grasped hold of his shirt and ran out of the dining hall. They didn’t trust him. He ran so fast through the hall, eventually reaching the outside. In the distance, he saw Maki entering the dormitories—probably to her room. He sighed, wiping the tears out of his face and entering the dorms as well, opening the door to his room and locking it behind him.

“Good job, voice.”

_Why, thank you._

”We’re alone now. Let’s chat.”

_Oh, goodness me. I can finally have a conversation without you freaking out. That’s good. That’s very, very good._

_I have so much to say._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here be the next chapter... I hope y'all like it :D  
> kokichi is driving himself further to meeting his "voice" in the back of his mind.  
> fun fact the "voice" is my favorite non-saiouma character^^;;
> 
> thank you all so much for your support of reconcile!! <3


	10. The Dead's Welcome

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kokichi doesn't wanna join a cult

_I have so much to say. Where should I start?_

“Start off telling me who you are.”

_Wha? That’s the worst place to start! Why give away everything when I can just watch you suffer trying to figure it out._

“Rude.”

_Sorry, it’s the truth… Anyways. I’ll tell you this. You’re not insane. Far from it._

“I find that hard to believe.”

_If you’re calling me a liar, then you’re the liar here._

“That doesn’t make sense.”

_Of course it does. Stop interfering, now. Thanks, thanks. You can save your applause for the end. Now then… I’d prefer it if you take a nap._

“A nap? I’m not a child!”

_You’ll understand. I’ll wait for you there, I guess. If you don’t show up, then I’ll assume you don’t want answers._

“Fine, fine! I’m going, I’m going.”

Kokichi took off his scarf, hanging it on the small clothes hanger on the wall. He slipped off his boots and set them by the door. Jumping into the bed, he lay on his back and stared at the ceiling, the lights still on. He closed his eyes, suddenly unable to move his body. He slowly opened his eyes to a large white space. There was nothing here.

“Woah, it’s really you!” A voice echoed throughout the area.

Kokichi turned around. Behind him was a boy that looked exactly like him. “Hello, there! Kokichi Ouma, the Ultimate Supreme Leader! Nice to finally see you… Not like I haven’t already, though.”

“W-What…?” Kokichi stuttered. “Who are you?”

“Call me what you want! Typically, I’m called ––––––––––, but you can just call me that voice inside your head. Voice for short. I don’t really care.”

“Alright… Voice. Who are you?” Kokichi asked again.

“Well, according to you, I’m the voice inside your head. I mean, you’re not _wrong_ , but y’know…” Voice looked at Kokichi with a smile. “Where else do you think your stubbornness comes from? You don’t mean to say some things, but you do anyways, yes? What about when you suddenly feel… I don’t know, frigid? That’s me! Yep! I’m the one behind that.”

Kokichi backed up. “What, so you’re a ghost?”

“Wha—no! I’m not a ghost, that’s stupid.” Voice pouted. “Hmm… how about you knowing things you didn’t know you knew? Take a guess where that’s from…” He didn’t wait. “Yep! That’s me!” He laughed. His laughter was loud, and it sounded muffled by a bad microphone.

“What do you want from me?” Kokichi was determined to get his answers.

Voice laughed. “What, you don’t know? I don’t want to be here either!”

“Then leave. Save me the trouble.”

“No can do, sir! Not ‘til I get what I need.”

Kokichi sighed. “What do you need, then?”

“I dunno.” Voice smiled maliciously. “Actually—yes I do! I want to see you die! Punishment, I suppose. You’ve done pretty bad things, haven’t you? Atone for your sins! Praise Atua…” He broke into a fit of laughter. “God, don’t do that last part…!”

Kokichi just stared at Voice with confusion. “You want to see me die?”

“That’s the plan! Don’t tell me you don’t _want_ _to_.”

“B-but…”

“No buts! You’ll die eventually. I’m only helping you in that goal!” He snickered. “I mean, why else would I help you? I have no other purpose then to may you pay for killing everyone. We all know you hate the others.”

“But I—”

“Come on, now! Kokichi, step up your game! Or I will.” That last part was a threat.

“I don’t want to die…” Kokichi whispered.

Voice looked at Kokichi with disgust. “God, are you stupid? Nobody cares about you. You’re just like Ryoma.”

Kokichi’s eyes widened. “That’s a lie.”

“What?”

“That’s a lie.” Kokichi’s eyes cleared. “You’re lying again.”

Voice sneered. “Aaalright… tell me, who cares about you?”

Kokichi didn’t answer. He looked away, biting his thumb in frustration. “What gives you the right to ask me that?”

“…Oh.” Voice stopped. “You have a point. Why don’t I just read our thoughts?” He closed his eyes, humming a tune that seemed familiar to Kokichi. “Oh… Oh! How interesting!” He opened his eyes, the purple suddenly a much more neon color. “That’s how it is, huh?”

“What do you mean?”

“Neeheehee! Nothing, nothing! No—in—t—all!” His voice began to cut out. “Oh. Sorry! There’s someone coming. Better get up now, sleepyhead!” Voice disappeared in a flash.

Kokichi blinked his eyes, suddenly back in his room. There was a knock on his door. How long was he out? It only felt like a few minutes. Looking at the clock, it was early in the morning. He had been out all night. That wasn’t a nap. He was hungry, too.

There was another knock on his door. Kokichi slipped his shoes on, walking over to the door. He opened it, seeing Kaito standing there.

“Hey, what are you doing? Didn’t you hear the announcement last night?” He asked.

“N-no…” Kokichi admitted. There was an announcement? That was news to him. “I was out cold… I guess.”

Kaito sighed, rubbing his head. “Anyways. We were called to the gym. We’re all waiting for you.” He started walking away. “Come on.”

Kokichi dumbfoundedly grabbed his scarf, closing the door to his dorm and following Kaito. As he walked, he tied his scarf in the back and caught up. They stood outside of the gymnasium, with Kaito slowly opening the door. He walked in, Kokichi behind him.

Monokuma appeared in front of them. He giggled. “Hello, students! I have a new motive for you all!”

“So it is a motive after all…” Shuichi sighed.

“Nyahahaha! It does not matter what the motive is. We are not going to have a Killing Game anymore.” Angie replied happily.

“That’s right!” Tenko agreed.

“Because we have Atua.” Kiibo nodded his head.

‘They’re all insane.’ Kokichi thought. ‘Atua? Really? C’mon, that’s stupid.’

“This motive is unlike any others! It will inspire fear into your hearts.” Monokuma explained. “This motive is a transfer student… But not just any transfer student… You’ll get to resurrect one of the students that have died so far!”

“We can… resurrect someone?” Kaito gasped.

“Yessir! The instructions are written in the Necronomicon. You can follow the directions, but you’ll only be able to choose one of them to become a transfer student.” Monokuma giggled. He popped away with his signature laugh.

“…Resurrection is possible?” Kiibo mumbled. “That’s incomprehensible.”

“Don’t screw around! It’s not possible to bring back someone that’s dead!” Kaito hissed.

“Sheesh! Who the hell would believe such… unscientific bullshit?!” Miu shouted. “That’s so… stupid!”

“So… I’m assuming you believe this, Kiyo?” Kokichi turned to the anthropologist.

“Kehehe, what are you saying? There’s no way to bring a person back from the dead.” He sneered. “Without a doubt, the souls of the dead exist. There is no way they can be brought back to life. Dead flesh cannot be restored, just as broken glass cannot be mended.”

“So you believe in souls, but you can’t resurrect them?” Kokichi giggled.

“If not even Kiyo believes it, then there’s probably no chance of bringing people back to life.” Kaito wiped his mouth.

“Hmm… you think so? I think there is a way to bring them back to life.” Angie interrupted. “Cause that’s what Atua desires!” She looked at the ceiling. “It’s not actually bringing them back to life… It’s more like… bringing the dead back to us.”

“What do you mean?” Maki asked.

“You know how each dead body has been cleaned and swept away? It’s like there was never a body there to begin with. Maybe they were never dead to begin with.”

“That’s not possible, we inspected the bodies ourselves—” Shuichi was cut off.

“Perhaps they were just imitations?” Angie went on.

“Monokuma and the Exisals are proof of scientific enhancements.” Kiibo agreed. Kokichi was getting tired of this.

People went on to agree Angie. “Yay! Thank you, everyone.” She cheered at their eagerness to listen to her.

“That’s not possible—I saw them—” Shuichi started.

“They’re dead.” Kokichi said bluntly. “All four of them are dead.”

_There you are._

“Don’t try to make us believe they’re not. Kirumi, Ryoma, Rantaro and… Kaede… they’re all dead. That’s the truth. No lies.” Kokichi finished.

The room was quiet. “Oh… sorry.” Kokichi rubbed his head and kept quiet. “Carry on.”

“Do you not want the dead to be alive, Kokichi? Do you still want them to be dead?” Angie questioned.

_She’s onto yoooou…_

“No… I just know that there’s no proof of them being alive. We all saw them die.” Kokichi explained.

“No, wait! Maybe if they dead, they be in school, right?” Gonta asked. “Maybe one of them write message in Courtyard.”

“Message in the courtyard?” Shuichi echoed.

“On way here, Gonta see letters on rock. It have more letters this time. Gonta no could understand what the writing mean… But maybe it message from dead?”

“Are you saying a dead person wrote the message?” Tsumugi asked for a sort of confirmation.

“What the actual fuck…?” Miu was terrified.

“There is nothing more divine then reuniting with a long-lost friend.” Angie cheered. She picked up the Necronomicon off the floor.

“Whatever are you planning to do with that?” Korekiyo inquired. “You do know it is a motive, yes? You’re aware?”

“Perhaps it’s more dangerous to ignore this motive. What if the people are actually alive and if we don’t perform the ritual they’ll die for sure this time? Kiibo theorized.

“Nyahahaha! It’s best we do then. Thank you Gonta, you’re the four people’s savior.” Angie cheered with a goofy smile on her face. She hugged the big guy. “I suggest you join the Student Council, Gonta.”

Himiko, Tenko, Kiibo, and Tsumugi all had joined eagerly. Gonta had agreed to join to help everyone like a “true gentleman”.

“What do you mean? What is this ‘student council’?” Shuichi asked.

“Last night, we were summoned by Angie to discuss how to eradicate the killing game.” Kiibo elaborated.

“We came to a conclusion! The Ultimate Academy Student Council—with Angie Yonaga as our president!” Tenko shouted victoriously.

“We’ve all banded together under the leadership of President Angie.” Tsumugi agreed.

“Our goal is to eradicate the entire Killing Game.” Kiibo finished.

“A-A student council?!” Shuichi was shocked.

“Yes, there can be no harmony if we all say different things.” Kiibo continued.

“Oh shut up!” Kokichi hissed. “Geez… they’re all totally brainwashed!”

“Angie has spread her influence faster then we have anticipated.” Korekiyo agreed with him. “But it makes sense. This place has all the conditions for a cult to form.”

Kokichi laughed. “She’s making us dependent on Atua, then.” He snickered. “That’s pathetic.”

_You’re pathetic._

“The President is helping us!” Kiibo protested. “She wants peace for this school and we all agree to her noble wisdom.”

“I’m surprised Tenko decided to join.” Kokichi looked at the Aikido master. “You and Angie were fighting over Himiko, right?”

Tenko backed up. “I just decided to believe in Atua’s greatness, that’s all…” She admitted rather sadly.

Angie looked over. “Oh, that’s right! Leave the ritual to the Student Council. We will take care of it under Atua’s guidance.”

Kokichi narrowed his eyes. “I’m out. This is too much.”

_Running away again, I see? How cute._

“Shut up.” He whispered as quietly as possible.

He turned around, slamming the door behind him.

_I guess we’ll just have to wait for what happens next, riiight Kokichi?_

“Sure, sure. Whatever you say. Couldn’t care less.”

He walked down the hallway, turning his head towards the grass outside. Gonta had said something about more letters on the rock. He didn’t do it this time. The sky was a shiny blue. Rays of sunlight cast dark shadows on the ground as Kokichi walked. He looked down at the rock, seeing that more letters had been added. He didn’t do it. He knew that for a fact.

Someone had seen his letters, but they decided to add on.

_This is getting interesting! How lovely! Shame I can’t go write more myself…_

“What, so you didn’t do this?”

_Neeheehee…_

_You’re so fun to watch, Kokichi Ouma. So very fun._

“Yes, and you’re so fun to listen to, you psychotic nincompoop.”

_Hahaha! How rude._

“I don’t care if I’m rude. You’re annoying.”

_…_

_…_

_…_

“Who are you talking to?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter ;O!!!  
> two in a day?! yes, because I have nothing else to do in my time~ maybe i'll update a third time! it depends on how much i get done.
> 
> as i said, chapters are purposely short so that it can update faster for you guys! i've always personally preferred that when reading, so it'll stay like this for now.
> 
> thank you all for your support <3


	11. Restore and Revive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sushi and kokichi do things and people try to do cult things

“Who are you talking to?”

As Kokichi had guessed, Shuichi was standing at the end of the field. Kokichi held the detective’s gaze, rubbing his eye.

“I wasn’t—”

“Stop lying.” Shuichi interrupted. He took slow steps towards Kokichi. Shuichi knew he would run away. He had to prevent that. If Kokichi were to run away _again,_ he would never get answers. “I’m going to ask again. Who are you talking to?”

Kokichi gulped. Shuichi must have heard the conversation—if it was even considered that. Voice was laughing in the back of his head almost as if to say he got caught.

_Serves you right, you little bastard._

“I-It’s not my fault you’re in my head!” Kokichi spoke accidentally. He didn’t mean to say that out loud. This raised Shuichi’s suspicion towards him. Kokichi looked around, seeing nobody in sight. He opened his mouth to answer Shuichi, but he quickly closed it, closing his eyes and turning his head away.

“…Kokichi?” Shuichi called.

“What do you want?” He answered exhaustedly.

“Are you okay?”

“…I’m…” He hesitated. “I’m fine.”

“You’re not.”

“If you’re so sure, then why even ask?!” Kokichi pouted. “You seem to be set on me not being fine, so believe what you want.”

_How stubborn must you be? Why don’t you let me take care of him?_

“No—no, you’re not doing anything.” He spoke out loud again. Noticing this, Kokichi covered his mouth. “Ah… sorry.”

Shuichi looked at him with concern. He walked over to Kokichi, placing his hands on his shoulders. Kokichi shrunk back, looking into Shuichi’s eyes with fear. He recoiled back, holding his left hand in his right. He took steady breaths, slowly calming down.

“Please, just talk to me.” Shuichi said softly. “There’s something wrong, I know it.”

“You… you wouldn’t understand.” Kokichi rubbed his eye. A gust of wind made him shiver. “You really… really wouldn’t understand!” He laughed. At the sight of Shuichi’s confused expression, he sneered. “There, there. Don’t worry about me! Worry about yourself—aren’t you the one who cried when Kaede—”

Shuichi had walked up to Kokichi and grabbed his left arm. “Stop.” He pleaded. “Just… stop. This isn’t like you.”

Kokichi’s arm was warm from Shuichi’s body heat. He blinked, making out the words “I’m sorry”. As Shuichi let go, he held his left arm next to him.

_What a pain, that one is. We’d best get rid of him. You’d like that, wouldn’t you? It wouldn’t be the first time, right? Surely you want to win again? Just for old times sake. Right, Kokichi? Let’s kill Shuichi together…_

“He—he wants you dead.” Kokichi whispered. “I’m sorry. He wants to kill you. I’m sorry—I’m so sorry—I can’t stop him—he—he wants to kill you again—I’m sorry—I—”

Shuichi suddenly halted. “Who are you talking about..? Again? What do you mean?”

Kokichi’s heart stopped. “I—I must have misspoken… I’m sorry…”

“Kokichi, you said again. Please—just talk to me.” Shuichi was nearly begging for information.

_I won’t let you tell him anything…_

Kokichi’s hands shot to his mouth. He couldn’t say anything. His hands were glued there. He was stuck. He wanted to scream, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t speak.  Shuichi cleared the distance between the two and wrapped his arms around Kokichi to form a hug. It was less of a loving hug and more of a calming one to stabilize the young leader.

“It’s alright… If you can’t speak, I won’t force you.” He whispered into his ear.

Tears began to form in Kokichi’s eyes. He lowered his hands, pulling Shuichi in. He lowered his head into the detective’s shirt, hiding his eyes from the world around him. He attempted to say ‘I’m sorry’ again, but he couldn’t. He gave up.

After staying there for minutes, Shuichi lead Kokichi back to his dorm room. Kokichi lay down in his bed, his face wet with tears. Shuichi sighed, smiling at the boy as he turned off the lights and closed the door. Kokichi closed his eyes and drifted into sleep…

 

 

* * *

 

 

His eyes opened to the white room he was in before. Voice was sitting at a table with tea, taking small sips. “Thanks for finally showing up.”

“Y-you again…” Kokichi whined. “Just leave me alone…”

“Sorry, I can’t do that.” Voice shrugged. “Though I’d love to… trust me on that.”

“Are you lying to me?”

“Of course not. I’d never lie to you!” Voice smiled. “You’re my favorite person.”

“That’s a lie.”

“…Yeah, you’re right…”

Kokichi stood there for a few moments before asking, “What do you want, now?”

Voice looked over in confusion. “I don’t want anything. You just showed up.”

“You made it sound like you wanted to speak with me.” Kokichi sat down on the floor. “So I’m listening, if you want me to.”

“I have no reason to speak with you.” Voice sipped his tea. “You’re a disgrace to my legacy.”

“Your legacy?”

“Of course. I have high standards.”

“Seems to me like you don’t have any, seeing as I’m a disgrace.” Kokichi laughed. “So what, you can’t leave this place? Where even are we?”

“One question at a time, please…” Voice grunted. “You’re in your mind, silly as it may sound. The only reason you’re here and able to remember everything is because of me. You’re welcome for that.” He paused. “I can do what I please in terms of staying here.”

Kokichi pouted. “That’s a bad answer. But alright. Can I wake up now?”

“Oh, so soon?” Voice set down the cup. “How disappointing. Have a good day, Kokichi Ouma.”

In the blink on an eye, Kokichi was back in his room. About three hours had passed since he had fallen asleep. He sat up, wiping sleep from his eyes. He flicked on the lights, looking around at his room. It was the same as usual.

He had spent the rest of the day in his room reading comics. When he got hungry, he would sneak into the dining hall and steal an apple or two. Without getting noticed, he would then reenter his room. When he got tired, he would fall asleep and talk to Voice about random things, though his little friend would never actually engage himself in a conversation with Kokichi. This process had occurred nonstop for two days.

_Why not leave? I think they’ll need you…_

Kokichi had gotten tired of lounging in his room all day and decided to leave to talk to Angie about the Student Council. It was odd, to say the least. People in the middle of a Killing Game are making fake Student Councils to deal with everything.

Assuming she’d be in her lab, Kokichi went up the stairs to the fourth floor to be greeted by Shuichi, Maki, Kaito and Himiko. All four of them were attempting to get inside of the door.

“Himiko! We have to get inside _right now_!” Shuichi pleaded.

“Even if we wanted to get in, it’s locked, so—”

“Hello! I heard everything, and I’m just as shocked!” Kokichi greeted them.

“You obviously didn’t hear anything at all.” Kaito sighed.

“…Where did you come from?” Maki asked.

“A little birdie told me that now would be a fantastic time to show you all my trick.” Kokichi explained.

Shuichi gasped. “That’s right! The lock picking!”

“Lock picking?!” Kaito stuttered.

“During the Meet and Greet, Kokichi got into our rooms by lock picking. Say, can you use those skills to get the door open?” Shuichi looked at the Kokichi with softness in his eyes.

“Hmm… Lemme see…” Kokichi walked up the door. He peeked into the keyhole of the doorknob. “It’s a cylinder lock—perfect for lock picking.”

“Yes, please open the lock, Kokichi.” Shuichi asked.

“…It’s rude to pick a lock without permission…” Himiko mumbled.

Shuichi got frustrated. “Now isn’t the time for that. Something must have happened to Angie!”

“Don’t worry about that! Kokichi, hurry up and open the door.” Kaito forced.

“Sorry, Himiko. I’m only helping because these three are forcing me.” Kokichi lied. He pulled out some thin needles and stuck them inside of the lock. Within seconds, the door was unlocked.

“…That simple!?” Shuichi gasped.

“Don’t be surprised. I’m the Ultimate Supreme Leader, you know.” Kokichi boasted.

“Lock picking seems more fitting to petty thieves.” Maki concluded.

Kokichi gasped dramatically. “Ah! That’s painful, Maki!”

“Let’s just get inside. I’m worried about Angie…” Shuichi opened the door to the lab, slowly walking in. The others followed him.

Shuichi’s small scream of fear caused Kokichi to run inside, seeing multiple effigies of the dead strung upside-down from the ceiling. In the center lay the corpse of Angie Yonaga. The body discovery announcement played.

 

_Finally, some action._

* * *

 

 

“…Let us pray for Angie… so that Atua may guide her soul to the gates of heaven…” Kiibo murmured.

“Atua… please take care of Angie!” Gonta cried.

Tsumugi broke the silence. “Hey… why did it end up like this…? Didn’t Angie… have Atua on her side?”

Maki wasn’t very emotional. “Clearly not.”

Gonta rebutted, “That not true! Angie say Atua always by our side!”

“Instead of talking about Atua—” Kaito started.

“Yeah! We gotta talk about which one of us is the culprit!” Kokichi exclaimed.

Miu trembled. “This is… part of the killing game?”

Maki nodded. “What else could it be? The fact that Angie is dead can only prove that the killing game has started again.”

Monokuma popped out of the ground. “Greetings, students! I have prepared your Monokuma file!” He quickly passed them out, disappearing for the trial.

“There is no use complaining. We are better off beginning the investigation.” Korekiyo began. “So everyone, we should all know what to do by now, yes?”

_How’s it feel, Kokichi?_

“Yep… I mean, by the third murder we should all be used to these dead bodies, right?” Kokichi laughed.

“Trust me. You don’t want to get used to this. No one should ever get used to this.” Maki spoke.

“Neeheehee! That’s nice and all. It seems preeetty insincere coming from an assassin.” Kokichi answered.

“…Let’s start investigating…” Kiibo mumbled.

“Why don’t we perform the séance for Angie?” Korekiyo suggested. As people agreed, he continued. “So, then… we need a place to perform. Where shall this be?”

“How about one of those creepy empty rooms?” Himiko pointed out. “There aren’t any windows. If we blow out the candles, it should be pitch dark.”

“Sure, I’m fine with that.” Kokichi shrugged.

“However… there are three empty rooms. Which one shall we use?” Korekiyo asked.

“Uhm… the middle room. The middle room is always the best for stuff like this.” Himiko decided with a nod of her head.

“Very well. I shall begin the preparations at once.” Korekiyo nodded his head. “I shall have you four help as well. Let us carry the equipment from my lab.”

“A-are you really going to do this?” Shuichi asked quietly.

“This is for our investigation.” Korekiyo admitted. “We need to use all of our effort to discover the culprit, lest our lives be lost.”

Kokichi left the room with a group of others. They walked into Korekiyo’s lab, gathering a variety of different “equipment”, but Kokichi had believed they were all just fake novelties.

As the time passed, Korekiyo drew out a self-proclaimed “magic circle”. He was reading about the medium, the song they must sing, the voice of the summoned spirit… things along that line. It was quite foolish to believe any of it. He had to memorize the song they would sing along with everyone else. It was short, and not too much of a problem.

Shuichi and Maki appeared in the room. “Hello, there!” He greeted them. Kokichi showed the two the book that Korekiyo had left, explaining everything that he had learned by reading.

“Is it even possible to contact a dead person’s ghost?” Shuichi asked.

“If you’re so curious, why not join us, Shuichi?”

“W-wha?” Shuichi tilted his head.

“Come see how it plays out with your own eyes…” Kokichi narrowed his eyes at the detective. “There’s still time, you know. The séance hasn’t started yet.”

“Maybe it is better if you join them.” Maki agreed. “I’m not going. I don’t believe in seances. But whether or not you believe it, as a detective it is ideal for you to observe what happens.”

Shuichi agreed. “Yeah, I think you’re right.”

“Now you’re talking!” Kokichi cheered. “Let’s go, let’s go!” He ushered for Shuichi to follow him. The two walked through the hallway to the middle room in silence. As they entered, Korekiyo greeted them.

“Ah, Shuichi. Kokichi tells me you wish to participate?” He asked rhetorically. “You are most welcome to join us… Is what I’d like to say. However, only five, including the medium, may join.”

“Aww… man… What a shame! Well, Kiiboy, you’re out!” Kokichi shooed the robot away, much to his dismay.

“Why me?!” Kiibo protested.

Eventually Kiibo was kicked out for being a robot in a human ritual. He seemed depressed about it but didn’t argue further.

“First, some warnings…” Korekiyo began. “Do not enter the magic circle on the floor. It is drawn with purifying salt, so it is easily disturbed when stepped upon.”

“You drew it with salt?” Shuichi asked.

“I always use salt for magic circles. It helps the séance go on smoothly.” He answered. “Also, it is dark in here, so be sure to watch your step. If the circle is broken, not only will the séance fail, but it may unleash a curse.” He warned.

“…Got it.” Shuichi nodded. “I’ll be careful.”

As Shuichi memorized the song, he murmured the words. Kokichi was interested in this. Korekiyo hummed the tune of the song for his aid, and Shuichi did his best to memorize the melody and lyrics.

“Alright, I think I got it.” Shuichi nodded.

 

“Well then, let us begin the ritual right away!” Korekiyo exclaimed.

 

The ritual was moments away from starting before the voice in Kokichi’s head laughed.

_You’re an idiot, Kokichi Ouma. Have fun! Don’t die! We’ll meet soon!_

Kokichi ignored it. Tenko decided to be the medium in place of Himiko, as Korekiyo said a girl was preferred for the ritual.

“You want to meet Angie, right? So you can say goodbye to her… Therefore I’ll do it. We’ll survive, and we’ll move on as friends. Like Angie wanted.” Tenko smiled. “Himiko. Expressing your feelings is perfectly natural. You shouldn’t feel ashamed at all. If you feel like crying when talking to Angie, go ahead and cry your eyes out. You’ll feel better when you do…”

Himiko let out a small laugh. “I think you’ve trained too much…”

Tenko smiled. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

Korekiyo nodded. “Let us begin. Will the spirit medium, Tenko, sit in the center circle? Please be sure to walk on the path, so as not to disturb the circle. Now… lay as a turtle within the circle. Rest your forehead upon the stone marker I’ve placed… Yes, like that. It may be uncomfortable, but please endure it until the séance is complete. Whatever you do, you mustn’t raise your head or change positions.” He turned to the others. “Now, the rest of us must work. There are many things left to be done. Please place the iron cage atop Tenko.”

Kokichi nodded, helping Shuichi place the cage over Tenko. “I may not look it, but I’m super strong!” They were careful enough not to step on the circle. Kokichi panted as dropped it. “Okay, I shouldn’t have lied. I’m way too weak for this kind of stuff.” Shuichi laughed at this.

Korekiyo layered the white sheet over the iron cage. “The final step is to place the statue of the God Dog on top.”

The four of them placed it on top. “Holy crap! This weighs a ton!” He sighed. “Phew, I’m totally wiped.

“This is the point of no return, Tenko. After this point, you mustn’t speak.” Korekiyo directed. “The next time you open your mouth, it will be Angie speaking through you.”

“Okay, everyone! I’ll see you guys after the séance!” Tenko cheered.

“The rest of us shall move to the corners of the room.” Korekiyo continued. “Pick whichever you like.” As the others stepped over, Korekiyo spoke. “Now we must darken the room. Shuichi and Kokichi are closest to the candles. Please blow out the candles. It should be possible to follow the walls in the dark. Once the room is dark, I will begin the song. Please sing along with me. Then, I will call out to Angie. Until she replies, there must be silence.”

“After the séance is done, Shuichi and I are supposed to relight the candles, right?” Kokichi asked.

“That is correct. Please use the matches I brought from the warehouse.” Korekiyo answered.

The room went dark. The four began to sing.

 

_At last, at last, at long last._

_Young guard dog and little lost girl sealed within an iron cage,_

_At mountain’s bottom, within the darkness._

_At last, at last, at long last._

_How many will there be by dawn?_

_Will there be two or just one?_

Thud.

_Will the guard dog run far away?_

_Or did it eat the little girl?_

_At last, at last, at long last…_

The song was finished, but there was an odd sound in the middle.

“Is the caged child… Angie Yonaga?” There was no answer. “Is the caged child… Angie Yonaga?” None again. “Is the caged child… Angie Yonaga?”

“…Where is Angie?” Himiko asked, breaking the silence.

“Himiko… I was very clear that you were not to speak, yes? But… something is odd. Why won’t she answer?” Korekiyo questioned.

“Maybe it failed?” Kokichi theorized.

_You bet it did! All because you were involved, sucker!_

“…Let’s light the candles briefly.” Korekiyo directed.

Despite being reluctant, Shuichi and Kokichi lit the candles. The center of the circle was still.

“What’s going on? Did it really fail?” Kokichi bounced.

“…That… can’t be! It was perfect!” Korekiyo stuttered.

“Is Angie not coming? Is that Tenko in there?” Himiko shivered.

Shuichi whispered. “…Tenko?”

“Ah… I told her she mustn’t speak…” Korekiyo mumbled.

“Neeheehee. She follows orders well. Let’s let her out.” Kokichi nodded.

As they were directed by Korekiyo, they slowly removed the statue, letting him remove the sheet. He pinched the fabric softly and pulled it aside.

“…Oh? Something.. is amiss…” Korekiyo stuttered.

Kokichi gasped at the sight of blood. Voice was dying in laughter.

_Woah! Serves you right! I knew it failed! Good work! I’m proud of you!_

Himiko dashed to the cage, ruining the magic circle. She pushed onto the cage, screaming at the top of her lungs. “Tenko!” She somehow lifted the cage and moved it. Tenko was dead.

 

The body announcement music played.

 

Tenko was dead.

 

There were two murders.

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> third chapter today, just as I promised! saiouma has officially begun, folks!  
> also rip two of my favorite characters :salute:
> 
> thank you all for your support <3


	12. Calm Before the Storm and After the Rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sushi is scared for kokichi and kokichi falls over

“Please gather in the séance room!” Monokuma’s voice echoed throughout the school as the body discovery announcement played.

“W-what is this…? How could this happen?” Tsumugi’s whole body shook.

“Tenko… Gonta so sorry! Gonta no could protect you…” Gonta cried.

As Shuichi stayed quiet, Maki demanded, “Shuichi, explain everything that has happened here. I thought you were conducting the séance. What happened?”

Shuichi looked cold. “I… I don’t know… I—I don’t know what’s happening…”

Monokuma popped out from the floor, laughing. “Pupupupu! I never would have thought a murder would occur during the investigation period! I guess you guys should start investigating right away?”

Korekiyo looked over. “Before we do so, I must ask. Is it possible the culprit who killed Angie is a different person then the one who killed Tenko?”

“Huh?” Shuichi gasped.

“What would happen if there are two blackened?” Korekiyo continued. “Must we find them both at the class trial?”

Kiibo nodded. “Now that you mention it, what _would_ happen in that scenario?”

“Of course, it’s first one first served! The blackened who killed the first victim to be discovered will be your target. In other words, if the blackened who killed Angie isn’t the same one who killed Tenko, then only Angie’s killer will be considered the blackened. Basically, Tenko’s killer wasted a kill, and Tenko herself is a waste of a victim.” Monokuma giggled. “Oh, that reminds me. I’ll add this to the school regulations.” He popped away.

“…Shuichi, this is bad.” Kaito had gotten the detective’s attention. “This is… very bad. I just can’t seem to accept that Tenko was killed. Everyone is sad and confused—and I’m in no shape to help. So this is where you must step up. Listen, Shuichi…” He paused. “The impossible is possible, all you gotta do is make it so.”

“Y-yeah. Got it.” Shuichi mumbled.

The group began to look through the updated Monokuma File. The victim is Tenko Chabashira, the Ultimate Aikido Master. The body was found in the middle empty room on the 4th floor. The only visible injury is a stab on the back of the neck. She was found around 11am.

“A stab wound on the neck… That is the same as Angie’s cause of death.” Shuichi noticed.

Kokichi laughed. “This doesn’t look like a coincidence! Maybe this is… Angie’s curse?!”

“C-Curse?!” Kaito gasped.

“God, not again…” Maki hissed under her breath.

“C-C-Curse?!?” Kaito yelped. In a matter of seconds, Kaito leaped over to Maki and enveloped her in a hug, squeezing her in fear.

“H-hey!” Maki protested.

“W-Wha—?! Curse?!” Kaito wasn’t listening. “No way there is a curse! D-don’t screw around!”

Maki hissed, “You’re the one who’s screwing around! Do you want to die?!” She then pushed Kaito off of her, causing him to slam against the wall. Maki recoiled and crossed her arms.

“K-Kaito… Are you okay?” Shuichi asked quietly.

“My bad, Shuichi. I’m starting to feel bad, but for a different reason.” Kaito mumbled.

Kokichi looked at the astronaut with a gleam in his eyes. What was he feeling bad about? Maki, perhaps? If that was the case, they’d have a bit of a romance in the Killing Game. Would Monokuma enjoy that? No, probably not.

_I know you’d enjoy that, though._

“I’m gonna get some fresh air. I’ll leave this to you and Maki Roll.” Kaito left the room, nearly falling over.

“I’m sorry, Tenko…” Tsumugi apologized to the dead girl. “To think I was suspicious of you after… Angie…”

As the others began to investigate, Kokichi noticed the floorboard in the center of the room was loose. He walked over to feel it, seeing that it could easily be stepped on. Kokichi stood up, grabbing the séance document before dashing out of the room to look at the others.

_Oh? How rare. You’re actually doing something for a change._

Kokichi ignored Voice as he rambled on about Kokichi’s “worthlessness”. He walked into the first room, seeing that it was nearly identical to the middle room. The air was dense and made it hard to breathe. It was colder in there then in the hallway for some reason. It was freezing in there. Kokichi walked inside, feeling around for the correct floorboard. Unable to find it, he began to walk out of the room. As he sighed, he stepped on the floorboard. Kokichi flew to the floor, hitting his head abruptly on the wood. He was bleeding.

_Oh, joy! Serves you right!_

He grimaced at the pain. He couldn’t stand up. He was bleeding pretty badly at this point. Looking up, he saw his vision was hazy.

_There, there. You finally got what was coming for you._

The shape of a person stood in front of him. It was Voice. He was standing in front of him. Voice reached out his hand at Kokichi, urging him to grab it. Kokichi knew that if he did, he would most likely die.

“There, there, Kokichi.” Voice laughed. “We both know this is what you wanted.” He kneeled down, lifting Kokichi’s chin from the ground. “Just grab my hand, Kokichi. I want to see you happy. You know I do.”

Kokichi didn’t budge. He clenched his fists as hard as he could. He was dreaming. He must have been dreaming. Voice couldn’t leave his mind.

From the other side of the hallway, he heard footsteps. Voice looked sharply towards the door, his eyes slightly wide with tension. He clicked his tongue, dropping Kokichi’s head to the floor before disappearing into the shadows.

Kokichi, dumbfounded, didn’t know who was coming. In any intent, he was extremely stressed and needed a bit of comedic relief for himself. Around the corner, Maki and Shuichi appeared. Kokichi hesitated before swiftly lifting his head with a smile.

“It’s a lie!” He chanted, bouncing up from the floor. Looking at the two’s surprised faces, Kokichi replied, “Neeheehee… Are you scared? Are you gonna scream and cry in terror? Go ahead, let it out. You’re safe now.”

Shuichi shook his head to clear his thoughts before replying. “W-What are you doing? You’re covered in blood…”

Kokichi paused. “…Oh! Sorry… I’m a little light headed from the blood loss…” He rubbed his forehead. “Yeah… This is real blood, alright.”

“Alright… so what were you doing?” Shuichi pressed.

“I got curious about something, so I decided to investigate. Turns out I was right. I was checking out the other empty rooms… and…” He sighed. “I stepped through the… floorboard…” The last few words sounded like he was trying not to laugh at himself.

“You stepped through a floorboard?” Shuichi glanced into the empty room.

Kokichi wasn’t paying attention. “…That… really got me… I tripped and fell… p-pretty hard!”

Maki sighed. “If you’re going to pass out, do so after you tell us everything.”

“…Oh! Yes, yes, of course…” Kokichi temporized.  “It… seems as though there was no crosspiece supporting the floorboard. So… I kinda… stepped through..?” He laughed at himself. “Ah… what terrible luck!”

Shuichi looked at Kokichi with concern, quickly looking away to the floorboard. He raised his hand to his mouth in thought, preparing to respond before the announcement played telling them to gather at the Shrine of Judgement.

Maki spoke first. “I guess our time’s up.”

“Aw…” Kokichi rubbed his head in pain. “I was trying to investigate something else, too…” He opened up the book, quickly flipping to the page of the magic circle’s pattern. “Sadly, I couldn’t find anything that’s worth being even considered a clue… Korekiyo drew the circle exactly the same as it is drawn in here. Same materials and everything. There’s nothing suspicious about any of it…” He snapped the book closed with his hand. “I wanted to go into fine detail, but now I can’t. I’ll… I’ll tell you later…” He turned to walk away, nearly falling over. “…at…t-the… class… trial…”

Maki had left in the middle of Kokichi’s words. She didn’t seem to care, and her abilities as an assassin made it seem she had disappeared. Neither Shuichi nor Kokichi had noticed when she left.

As Kokichi wobbled away, Shuichi ran up to him and helped him stand properly. “You’re in no shape to walk right now. Let’s go.” He helped him down the stairs and to the Shrine of Judgement.

As they walked, Kokichi mumbled, “Why are you helping me again?”

Shuichi waited to reply. He let out a small laugh. “I’m not sure, exactly.” He glanced at Kokichi, who was staring into the distance. “Perhaps it’s just that you need something… or _someone_ to help you. You seem… stressed, that’s all.”

“…’m fine…” Kokichi murmured.

As they arrived at the Shrine of Judgement, Shuichi noticed that they were the last to arrive. Kaito glanced over, waving at him before noticing Kokichi’s bloody face. He had gotten rid of most of the mess, but it was still visible he was injured. Kaito walked over.

“Hey, Shuichi! What happened?” He asked.

“…Long story.” Shuichi sighed.

Kokichi laughed at himself. “I stepped through a floorboard… It hurts more then whenever Monokuma rejects me…” He stood up on his own, preparing to enter the elevator.

There weren’t as many students left as there were last time. There were far too many missing to be comfortable. Now, they had to figure out who killed Angie and Tenko and whether or not it was the same person.

Kokichi rubbed his head, walking onto the boarded elevator. Shuichi smiled at him, making sure he was okay. Kokichi nodded in response, lipping the words ‘thank you’ before turning his head away, staring at the wall next to him.

Someone right next to him had killed two innocent people… One innocent person, Angie was honestly terrifying.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shortish chapter, I apologize! I've been a bit sick lately so this is all I could do :'D  
> next chapter will be longer tho i swear
> 
> anyhoo, thanks for all the support <3


	13. Two Sides of A Coin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kokichi goes sad and incest man strikes again

“Are you alright now, Kaito?” Shuichi asked the astronaut. He had fled after Maki’s punch and he seemed to be injured then. Now, though, he looked fine.

Kaito nodded. “Yep! Maki Roll packs a punch, but they’re no match for the Luminary of the Stars!” He smiled warmly.

From across the way, Miu laughed. “We don’t have to worry about losing people. Only dipshits have died so far. I know it’s a large order ‘n all but try to use your brains this time so I don’t gonna use mine!”

Tsumugi was praying. “Atua, please… lend us your power…”

“It may… be difficult… to rely on Atua.” Kiibo mumbled. “After all, Angie was the closest to Him. Who knows if he is still watching us now?”

Kokichi spoke louder then he wanted. “She shouldn’t have relied on Atua in the first place.” He hissed.

People had probably heard, but nobody seemed to want to answer. With good reason, too. It was cold out. The tension was so thick it was palpable. Kokichi was nervous, but not scared. The other students were prepared for this, however. Kokichi was a bit behind. Most of the investigation he was doing other things, such as tripping over himself and witnessing another murder. He didn’t have much to bring to the plate, except for the floorboards.

By the time Kokichi had noticed, Shuichi had walked back over to him. “Are you sure you’re okay before we enter?” He asked, glancing at the elevator which had just appeared moments before. He looked back at a smiling Kokichi and did the same.

Kokichi followed the detective into the shaft as it closed behind them. The lights flickered on and they began moving down into the catacombs. Kokichi, who was still rather dizzy, did not take well to the bumping of the elevator. He grasped onto the railing for dear life and waited. As the door opened, he was last to get off due to fatigue.

“Oh boy!” Monokuma popped up from his stand. “The third official class trial is finally in session! I hope you all enjoy it to your hearts’ content!” He went on to explain the rules of the class trial yet again. They had already gone through it before, so what was the purpose of restating it each time? For a third party, if there is one?

Kokichi shook his head to clear his thoughts. Voice’s rambles were in the front of his mind now. He was going on and on about his usual hatred to his host. ‘You’re in for some trouble!’ He laughed. ‘Come visit me soon, please! I need company… I’m gonna cry! I’m so lonely here! Why not bring a friend? How about a few? I’d love to have some friends. Make one for me!!!’ He went on. Kokichi assumed his words were only to throw him off.

It was dead quiet for several moments. Himiko was staring at the ground. Her eyes betrayed her thoughts almost too easily. She was looking angry and distressed. She was eager to find the killer. Kokichi was a little worried. Whoever had killed them was going to get attacked most definitely. He felt bad for her.

_Oh, brother! Little drama queen we have here, folks. Clean up on aisle 53. I repeat, we have a drama queen._

“Who did it?” Himiko asked clearly. “Who killed Angie and Tenko?”

Korekiyo interrupted, “Do not let your emotions drive you. There may be two killers to this case.” He gave out.

Tsumugi shivered. “…Maybe the one who did it… isn’t here…” She whispered. “Maybe… the transfer student… dragged Angie and Tenko into their graves…”

Kaito shouted in response, “S-Stop making stuff up!”

Shuichi looked over, suddenly alert of his surroundings. He opened his mouth to speak but closed it almost immediately. He hesitated before speaking. “I don’t think Angie’s ritual succeeded. According to the Necronomicon, you have to burn the physical copy to succeed.” He paused to gather his words. Everyone was staring. “…If the book is still intact, then the ritual was not completed.”

Kiibo nodded. “Angie must have been killed before the ritual had been completed. After all, the book is still intact.”

“…I guess Rantaro isn’t the culprit, then…” Tsumugi was almost disappointed at the news she was wrong—even if her guess was completely random.

Kaito growled in response. “Well, obviously. There’s no way a person can…” He shivered in fear. “R-resurrect.”

Monokuma popped up from his chair. “Now hold on just a minute! I cannot let that comment run by without my interruption! Sure, everyone knows you can’t bring the dead back to life, of course, of course… But it’s easy at the Ultimate Academy! All you have to do is use the Necronomicon!”

“Th-that’s not true…!” Kaito exclaimed.

“But of course it is!” Monokuma rebutted. “I would never, ever lie about motives.”

Tsumugi looked at the ground. Her hair drooped over as she sighed in sadness—or perhaps utter confusion. “So… it was true? You can actually resurrect the dead here?”

“There’s no way!!!” Kaito was terrified.

Maki closed her eyes and crossed her arms. “Shut up, already. There’s no way. Monokuma is trying to confuse us. Let’s just hurry and find out who the culprit is.”

Korekiyo shifted. “If the culprit is not the transfer student, then the blame shifts to one of us, naturally.” He seemed rather disappointed at this fact. It was as if he had wanted to have the murderer be a dead man. What would happen, Kokichi wondered? Would the dead die again? Is that possible?

“…Who did it?” Himiko repeated her question yet again.

Miu shoved Himiko away with her words. “Step aside, half-pint! Let me handle this!” She slammed her hands on the railing. “I don’t know about Tenko, but I’m pretty damn sure Kiyo killed Angie!”  As the anthropologist’s face revealed pure shock, she went on. “Oh please, creep show! I already know what happened.”

“…What do you mean, Miu?” Shuichi asked in his usual detective tone. He narrowed his eyes, looking for weakness in both Miu and Korekiyo’s gaze.

Miu nodded. “Angie was killed with a katana in her research lab. That same katana was found in Korekiyo’s lab! That makes you, Kiyo, automatically suspicious!”

Kokichi laughed, suddenly getting chills. He shrugged it off as he spoke. “So that rusty old thing was the murder weapon, huh? That’s funny—you were the only one who cared about it, Kiyo!”

Miu went on. “You broke into Angie’s lab, and murdered the fuck outta her!”

Shuichi froze, quickly interrupting. “No, that’s not it… He… couldn’t have killed Angie in her lab. Right, Tsumugi?”

Tsumugi shuffled as if she had to prepare her words mentally. “Uhm… before Angie locked herself in her lab… She said she wouldn’t open for anyone except Student Council Members, I believe.”

Shuichi hesitated before continuing. “Yes, and Korekiyo is not a Student Council member. Angie wouldn’t have opened the door for him.”

Kokichi laughed. “Doesn’t trust anyone outside of her little cult, huh? Too bad… Kiyo couldn’t have killed Angie, even if he wanted to!”

“I had to desire to kill her in the first place.” Korekiyo answered.

Kaito rubbed his head. “So whoever the murderer is must be a Student Council member, right? Am I correct in saying that?”

Korekiyo nodded. “Yes… The remaining Student Council members are Kiibo, Gonta, Tsumugi, and Himiko.”

Kokichi looked around with an overly happy smile. “It can’t be Himiko, you know? They had such a beautiful friendship… I trust that, right you guys?!”

Kiibo shook his head. “Can we trust their friendship that easily…?” He questioned.

“Obviously..!” Kokichi replied exhaustedly. “Let’s believe in them!”

Korekiyo sighed. “That brings our list down to three—Gonta, Tsumugi, and Kiibo.”

Kokichi was completely freezing. Something was wrong, he was sure. Even so, he kept going. “Yep, yep! The culprit is definitely one of them!”

“Two people!” Miu hissed. “Robots aren’t people!”

“I’ll let that remark slide.” Kiibo sighed. “Aren’t we making our judgements a bit too hasty?”

“W-whatever! Culprit—confess already, would you?” Kokichi clutched the railings, worried he would fall over.

 Gonta, Kiibo, and Tsumugi began panicking each at a time. Kokichi, in the middle of the trouble, made the idea. “Only Student Council members had access to the lab!”

Shuichi sharpened. “No, that’s not right. It wasn’t just student council members that could open that door.”

Kokichi narrowed his eyes. “What is it you said earlier, then, Shuichi?” He smirked and tilted his head to the side. “Unless you’re a student council member, you can’t enter Angie’s lab, right?”

Shuichi’s eyes glazed over in concern. “…I was referring to Kiyo. But… _you on the other hand, could have opened it._ I… hope that that’s wrong.” He ended quietly.

“…Oh? That? I totally forgot…” Kokichi sighed, rubbing his head.

Maki hissed. “You’re going to pretend you don’t remember?”

Kokichi frowned. “Of course I remember… Yeah, I did it. I killed Angie.” He smiled. His smile was filled with joy and his eyes were wide with excitement. His eyes glowed faintly purple as he spoke. Perhaps the lighting was messing with it.

“W-wait, what?!” Kaito shouted. “What the hell did you just say?!”

Kokichi smiled even wider. “I picked the lock to her lab, snuck in, and WHAM! Killed Angie.” He was shaking now. He was shaking like a leaf in the middle of a hurricane. Something was shaking Kokichi to his bones, causing him to rattle. Even so, he remained smiling. “The culprit was me all along.” He knew this wasn’t true.

“What are you saying? Is this supposed to be a joke?” Korekiyo hissed from under the mask.

“Nah. No joke.” Kokichi shrugged. “If I confessed, I’d atone for my sins… And I feel…” He laughed. “So much better now!”

“So… Kokichi really is culprit?” Gonta asked.

“…He is lying. I think? Maybe?” Miu stuttered.

Shuichi stared at Kokichi in the eyes. “He’s lying. I’m certain of it.”

Kokichi’s smile turned into a frown. “Non, non. Not a lie. I’m certain. Hey, shouldn’t you guys believe the culprit when they confess?”

“Then let me ask you, ‘culprit’.” Shuichi’s voice was cold. “How did you lock the room?”

Kokichi was dumbfounded. He scrambled for an answer. “Ah, of course! It’s the same as opening it… you pick the lock from the outside… a—”

“No, that doesn’t make sense.” Shuichi intercepted.

“What doesn’t make sense? You can’t lock a door by picking it?” Kaito asked.

“Perhaps. But that is not how the culprit locked the room.” Shuichi explained. “They used a different method. T-there were two doors to the classroom. The one locked last was… the back door. That’s how they made it a locked room mystery.”

“The back door had a sliding lock, correct? How was it locked from the outside?” Korekiyo pushed.

“The culprit used a certain tool for this, I believe. The… gold leaf katana that was inside of Kaede’s effigy.” Shuichi decided with a nod of his head. “The culprit used that to hit the lock of the sliding door.”

Maki nodded. “So the gold leaf was in the lock because when it hit, it rubbed off.”

Kokichi smiled. “So the culprit used the katana to move the sliding lock, right? But wait! How did they move it with a katana from outside?”

“The layout of the room was rather odd. The Necronomicon didn’t say anything about hanging the effigies.” Shuichi thought out loud.

“If not for the ritual, then it must have been for something else, perhaps?” Kiibo suggested with a point of his fingers in decision.

“If we can just…” Shuichi closed his eyes. “Find out how the door was locked, then…” He clenched his fists as he thought. “That’s it!” He opened his eyes in clearance. “The reason the katana was stabbed into the effigy was so that it would lock the door as it spun!” He explained in full detail the plan.

Kokichi rubbed his head, sulking back.

_What a shame, what a damn shame! You were so close, weren’t you? Want to kill them all again? Perhaps you want to live? That’s great! That’s so great! I’m so proud of you for making the wrong choice. Or perhaps you’re lying to yourself again? Bummer! You really are a li—_

“Shut up.” He spoke extremely quietly. Nobody could have heard him. Maki looked over briefly, but that was it.

The trial went on. Kiibo caught Kokichi’s attention when he spoke. “If that’s the case, then Kokichi’s confession earlier…”

“SERIOUSLY? You fuckin’ lied AGAIN?!” Miu shouted in pure rage.

Kokichi flinched, grabbing the bottom of his shirt in fear. “I’m sorry…” He whispered. They heard him this time. Quickly realizing this, he fakely smiled. “Oh man! You guys got me. Oookay, I’m not the culprit…”

“You’re telling the truth this time, right?” Himiko asked from next to him.

“I wanna say that was a lie, but it wasn’t.” Kokichi shrugged.

“Why did you say you were the culprit, then?” Maki asked.

Kokichi hesitated. He turned to Maki with a bold, neutral face. “I wanted to lure the culprit out.” He said simply. “If I claimed to be the culprit, then the real culprit would agree, you got it? If they wanted me to confess, then they would’ve been suspicious! Darn it! It didn’t work out because _Shuichi_ ruined my plan… Thanks for that, by the way.” He turned to face the detective, but his gaze was not malicious. It was almost as though a child had lost a game and was just sad about it. There were no hard feelings. Shuichi, noticing this, did not question him much any further.

Miu broke the silence. “You and your fucking lies! Go to your corner and play by yourself.”

“Alright! I’ll start right now.” Kokichi stepped back and remained quiet for a bit.

“So who’s the asshole who set up this locked room mystery?” Miu asked bluntly.

Kokichi shifted. “…Miu…” He coughed. “I… can’t hold this up anymore…”

“You gettin’ soft on me, now?”

“ _Who_ did it doesn’t matter. Any one of us could have done it.” Kokichi shrugged. “Don’t you understand something so simple, you filthy cum dumpster?”

Korekiyo attempted to keep the conversation going. “We must focus not on how it worked, but on who entered Angie’s lab.”

“That leaves us four suspects…” Kaito went on. “Kiibo, Tsumugi, Gonta, and… Kokichi.”

“Don’t forget Himiko!” Kokichi chirped in. “Doesn’t matter if she was besties with Angie, she’s still a suspect.”

“I can disprove that statement with my recording—” Kiibo started.

“It’s fine.” Maki sighed. “That’s a waste of time.”

Himiko raised her hat. “Me? A suspect?” She shouted. “I’d NEVER kill Angie!”

“Sooo… calling all suspects, what should we discuss next?” Kokichi ignored her. “Let’s hear everyone’s opinion. What do we say to get off the suspect list?”

Maki raised her head. “Why are you trying to lead the debate? You’re a suspect too, you know.”

“Silence, outsider! Only the Suspect Rangers are permitted to speak at this time.” Kokichi interrupted her.

“I agree.” Korekiyo nodded. “Those under suspicion should be allowed to fully explain themselves to everyone here.”

“Now, now, Suspect Rangers!” Kokichi called. “What should we talk about to get ourselves off of the Suspect List? I’m ready for your opinion, guys!”

“That’s a difficult question, y’know?” Tsumugi stuttered.

Kokichi pouted. “Don’t you guys want to get cleared of suspicion? Not so good with words, huh?”

“I don’t blame them.” Kaito frowned. “We don’t trust you and you probably don’t trust u—”

 

“Why… did Tenko have to die…?”

 

Himiko looked up for the first time in a while, looking at each of the current students. “I want to know why Angie died too, but… What about Tenko? Can we talk about Tenko’s case now and not—”

“Haha! Caught you!” Kokichi jumped up.

“What… do you mean?” Himiko went on cautiously.

Kokichi sneered. “The two victims may or may not have been killed by separate culprits, right? Therefore, we must find the first blackened before we find the second one! We gotta find out who killed Angie.” He began to shake. “Until we find out who killed Angie, Tenko’s case is meaningless—”

“IT’S NOT MEANINGLESS!” Himiko shouted.

“…!” Kokichi froze. He realized what he said. He covered his mouth in shock, his eyes widening.

“Tenko’s death was meaningless? How _dare_ you?!” She cried. “Poor Tenko… How could you do this to her?!”

Kokichi’s breath staggered. He couldn’t speak. Words formed on their own. A cold hand was moving him, causing him to speak when he didn’t want to. He fought back, trying not to let himself get taken over. “…stop… l…” He coughed. “…lies… Himiko…” He struggled to stand, slowly losing the power to remain up. “…sor...”

In an instant, Kokichi sprung up. “Stop it with your crappy lies, Himiko.” He smiled ominously. “Everything you just said is total BS. Before she died, you didn’t give a crap about Tenko. Now that she’s dead, you sympathize so much over her. I mean, c’mon, really?!”

“Kokichi, enough!” Gonta silenced him.

“No, it’s okay… It’s no surprise he’d think that.” Himiko shrugged. “I… know I ignored Tenko before… That’s why… I care so much now… I should have worked things out with her… while she was still alive…” She shivered. “But now, it’s too late… I can’t thank her… or complain to her… or…”

“Yeah! It’s too late!” Kaito exclaimed. “We have to face her death head-on!” He turned to the girl, smiling in sympathy. “I understand what you’re going through. So let’s work together! We’ll find the truth!”

As the others began to rally against him, Kokichi sighed, rubbing the hair out of his face. “I told you, that’s unnecessary.”

“No, it’s not.” Kaito smiled. “We need to survive. In order to do that, we have to get to the bottom of Tenko’s death. That’s… what she’d want, right?”

“Then… let’s begin…” Shuichi began.

“Tenko was killed during the séance, so everyone there is suspicious!” Miu decided.

Shuichi nodded. “That was me, Kiyo, Kokichi, and Himiko.”

“So… Himiko still suspect?” Gonta asked.

“That’s probably just a coinky-dink! The most suspicious is easily Kiyo, since he suggested the séance idea.” Kokichi laughed.

“True, however I explained the procedure before we begun, yes? Therefore we all knew how it would play out. That makes us all equally suspicious.” He answered. “The séance wasn’t totally in my control, either. Himiko was the one who chose the room. Not to mention, there was another way for outside control, correct?”

“That’s right!” Shuichi agreed. “There was the area beneath the floor. There was also the hole that connected it to the neighboring room.”

“If the culprit used the hole, it would be easy for them to leave and enter the séance room.” Maki continued.

Everyone began to pinpoint the blame on Kiibo because he had the flashlight ability. Just because he was a robot, they were blaming him.

“I don’t think the culprit could have used a light while under the floor.” Shuichi said. “There was a hole in the corner of the room. We would have seen the light.”

The trial continued. Kokichi wasn’t really paying much attention and only added small remarks here and there. When the idea hit him, Kokichi spoke up.

“It wouldn’t be surprising if Tenko killed Angie, right?” He asked. “Since both of them were fighting for Himiko’s attention. Tenko may have felt bad about killing Angie and killed herself during the séance!”

“Why would she do it during the séance?” Kaito asked.

“She wanted to hide the truth of her suicide.” Kokichi shrugged. “There’s only one reason as to why. She wanted to take us down with her.”

“Tenko…” Himiko spoke. “Tenko… wasn’t like that. She told me… to survive and live with everyone else…”

“Oh! But what if that was a lie?” Kokichi smiled.

“We should believe Tenko’s last words!” Gonta pressed.

“Himiko, you said Tenko would never do anything like that. But how can you be so sure? Were you two _that close_? People keep all sorts of secrets… Like Maki. Is it wise of us to trust people so whole heartedly in this situation?” Kokichi asked.

“Geez… you’re such a naïve dude.” Kaito sighed in disappointment. “We’re all just people, you know? We all have secrets. What matters is if there’s any malice behind them.”

“P-people can lie about how malicious their secrets are!” Kokichi exclaimed.

“Well duh. We’ll never know what anyone else is thinking. That’s why we should always believe in each other!” Kaito smiled.

As the trial went on, Korekiyo was easily discovered to be the murderer of Tenko. However, when there was a gap in the ideas of who killed Angie, they split. Kokichi knew not to vote yet. Angie was said to have not died in her lab, causing everyone to be suspicious of her death. It was when Korekiyo was becoming the culprit of Angie that things got weird.

He changed.

In a matter of seconds, Korekiyo would take off his mask to reveal a woman-like face hiding beneath it. He spoke in a more feminine tone, speaking of how… they, their sister, would help him survive. They were in a romantic relationship, somehow. Korekiyo’s sister died. It was literally making Kokichi sick.

He was in love with his dead sister.

 

 

At the execution, Korekiyo was burned in a pit of fire. The spirit of his sister began to salt him down so that he may never live as a ghost with her. If ghosts were real, Kokichi would not want to involve himself with them.

Despite all of this, Kokichi knew of this execution. It was the same one, further proving his point. He was warm again, slowly recollecting the things he had said. Shuichi walked up to him, narrowing his eyes in slight annoyance.

“What’s wrong with you now?” Shuichi asked.

“Nothing is wrong.” Kokichi mumbled. “Nothing at all, detective.”

“I know you’re lying.” He sighed. “Why not just talk to me?”

“We all know you don’t care.” The elevator opened, and they stepped on. “Why not ignore me like everyone else? It’d be easier for the both of us.”

Shuichi gasped. “I-I’d never do that!”

“Why not?”

“Because I care for you. You’re my friend.” Shuichi smiled. “Why would I let one of my friends surrender themselves?”

Kokichi looked at the detective and frowned. They held their gaze for moments. “Alright. Sorry for killing you.”

“…What?”

“Yeah, sorry. I killed you.”

Shuichi leaned in as the elevator rose. “Is… this a lie?”

“Nah, no lie. You just don’t believe me.”

Shuichi was silent. “I don’t understand.”

Kokichi laughed. “Neither do I, honestly.” The elevator opened. “I guess we have something in common.”

He walked out of the elevator without turning back.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> long chapter woo! the hardest to write most definitely-- Korekiyo's plan was super long ;-; sorry if the end was rushed!  
> thank you all so much for your support <3


	14. Rain in a Cloudless Sky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kokichi is 'mean' and sushi finally does plot stuff

As Kokichi walked away, he heard the others talking. He stopped, turning around to listen. It was best to know anything he could, especially after a trial. What he saw was Himiko trailing behind the group.

It was almost as though they were rushed out of the Trialroom. Monokuma had disappeared almost instantly and the elevator doors opened as soon as Korekiyo died. It was odd.

Himiko was physically shaking. The others had caught up to Kokichi, but he decided to walk along with them in silence.

Gonta spoke. “Himiko, you okay?”

“I think it’s best she had some space to herself.” Shuichi murmured. “I remember… how I felt…”

“Gonta understand…”

Himiko was dead quiet. She halted in her tracks, causing Kokichi to halt as well. He turned around to face her and smiled. “God, Himiko is such a liar!”

“Huh?” Shuichi tilted his head.

“I don’t think lies are a bad thing. If the world was only filled with truth, would we be free?” He shrugged. “Even then, it’s not good to lie to yourself, right?”

Tsumugi gasped. “Stop that! Think about Himiko’s feelings a bit!”

“I only said it because I thought about it!” Kokichi pouted. “Himiko is lying to herself about her feelings. She’s holding back.” He knew what it was like to lie to yourself about anything. That’s how he’s survived. If he had focused on the truth, he would have driven himself insane. “Why are you fighting so hard to hold it back?”

A gust of wind blew to fill the silence. “…” Himiko’s eyes teared up. “…” Tears rolled down her cheeks. “Uwaaaaaaaaaah!” She cried. “Tenko! Angie! I’m so lonely… without you two! I can’t be with you, but I’m so lonely without both of you!” She cried.

Kokichi watched as each and every one of the other students began to cry. He watched them all do so. Personally, he couldn’t. If he tried, it wouldn’t work. But he was happy. He truly hoped none of them hated him for this. He just wanted to help Himiko. He knew how she felt. He really did. Her doing this was all he needed to make her better, even though it wouldn’t be shown until later. They weren’t tears of fear. They were tears that would push them forwards.

The breeze slowed down as though a storm had passed. Himiko began to calm down, and Kokichi slipped away into his room for the night.

 

* * *

 

 

Kokichi had gathered in the dining hall for breakfast with everyone else. Shuichi walked in, taking a sharp breath as he noticed who was remaining. There were two, four, seven people missing now. Seven of their friends had died… Six, perhaps. Korekiyo was always utterly terrifying.

“Good morning, everyone…” He spoke tentatively.

Kiibo was the only one to reply. “…Good… morning…”

It was extremely tense. Seeing as what everyone had gone through, it wouldn’t be surprising to have them all so down and gloom. Shuichi hesitated to move, surveying his surroundings in pure fear. The look on his face… made Kokichi want to run out of the room.

“Good morning! Aren’t you gonna eat, Shuichi?” Kaito asked in his typical happy tone.

Kokichi, trying to cheer up the mood, spoke next. “If you don’t eat, Gonta will eat you instead!” He laughed. Nobody else followed.

“…Eat me?!” Shuichi gasped. “Don’t you mean he’ll eat my breakfast?”

“Hey… I haven’t seen Gonta this morning. Where is he?” Kaito looked around. Kokichi hadn’t noticed his absence.

“…He’s probably still sleeping.” Kiibo shrugged, looking away.

The room was dead quiet. Kokichi looked around, trying not to smile. He didn’t know why he wanted to smile. Despite his best efforts, he ended up smiling anyway.

_There you are! You’re supp—_

“You guys have no energy!” Himiko pouted. “You need to look alive! We’re teenagers! Your good mornings are too quiet! Its ‘cause you’re all quiet you feel down!”

“…Weird.” Maki hummed. “I thought you’d be the most depressed out of all of us here.” She looked at the magician with a look of interest. “How strange.”

Himiko made a small, sad smile. “Of course I’m depressed. This… is the most sadness I’ve felt in my whole life…” She paused, swallowing. “But… being depressed won’t help those who died!” She raised her hat. “So… in order to make their deaths have meaning, I’m going to live my life with positivity!”

Kaito smiled. “You’re out of breath already! Full speed through the gate…”

“But it’s just as Himiko said!” Tsumugi agreed. “Those of us left should live our lives in positivity. To look to the future for everyone else!”

Was the air conditioner on? It felt like it. “The game’s only getting started, now! Let’s all work together!” Kokichi smiled.

“…Game?” Shuichi echoed.

“That’s what we’re talking about, right?” Kokichi asked rhetorically. “Oh… but now that there’s less of us, I might be the next one to die…!” He ended off with a frown. “I…” Kokichi’s frown quickly turned into a smile. “I don’t wanna die, but this is exciting!”

Kaito glared at Kokichi. “You’re still gonna say crap like that at a time li—”

Gonta slammed open the door to the dining hall and rushed in. “Guys! This serious!” He stopped. “Okay, maybe not that serious, but Gonta found something in courtyard on way to dining hall!”

“Was there more added onto the graffiti?” Shuichi asked.

Gonta nodded eagerly. “Yeah. More letters added…” He quickly explained what the words said to the group.

“This world? The swords?” Kiibo hypothesized.

Tsumugi shivered. “W-what about the world? What’s… going on?”

Maki sighed. “It’s just graffiti. We should ignore it.”

“No…” Shuichi declined. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. No one here takes credit for it, right? But now… there’s more added to it. It must have _some_ meaning.”

“So… none of us here wrote it? If this is a prank, speak up.” Kaito made an empty threat.

Kokichi looked around. He didn’t add anything this time. Only once had he altered it. Only once. He was sure of that. If nobody else here could have done it, then who could have? Then he realized what major possibility he was forgetting. Kokichi had seen Voice in the real world. Perhaps he was the one doing it.

_I wouldn’t do anything to harm your little friends… Whoops! That was a lie. Sorry! Oh! That was a lie too! I’m not sorry! Hahahaha!_

“Gonta stumbled onto the writing by coincidence, right?” Kokichi asked to clear his mind. “If it was a prank, then they would’ve done it in a more obvious spot. Not in the middle of the grass.” He laughed. “There’s NOTHING more depressing then an unnoticed prank!”

Kaito shrugged, rubbing his shoulder. “Well, I don’t really get it. It’s probably a clue of some sort… Anyways, thanks for the report, Gonta!”

“Gonta just glad to help.” Gonta smiled with embarrassment. “Gonta want to help, even little. Tell Gonta if you need help with something, okay?”

Monokuma stepped up from nowhere, laughing as usual. “Oh boy! My ears are on fire! Are my students talking about me again? Never mind that. You guys are eager for _it_ , right? My prize, that is.” He whipped up a small grey sliver, unveiling it to the students. “It’s a card key! Which just so happens to be a motive, too!”

“M-Motive?!” Shuichi echoed.

“Yes! That’s right! This card key is your next motive!” Monokuma nodded.

“So the new area you can open with the card key… Is this where the true motive is?” Maki waited for confirmation.

“That’s the secret! Why not try to find that out?” Monokuma laughed. He tossed it to Shuichi, who struggled to catch it. He disappeared in moments.

_Get that._

‘What?’

_You heard me._

In an instant, Kokichi dashed over to Shuichi to grab the card key. “I’ll take that, then!” He smirked, turning around to face the group with his head.

Gonta protested, “Wait! That a motive! What if another murder happen?!”

Kokichi frowned, tilting his head away. He opened his mouth to reply but closed it quickly. He looked back, his eyes clearly filled with division. “I wouldn’t mind that at all, y’know?”

“Quit screwing around and give it to us!” Kaito demanded.

Kokichi flinched, backing up. He looked around for help, but ultimately decided it wasn’t worth it to stay there. He dashed out of the room, not knowing of the fear that he had revealed on his face.

From down the hall, he heard Kaito running after him. Kokichi sprinted, heading to his room full force. He reached the dormitories, slamming closed the door to his room behind him. He turned the lock and slumped down.

He covered his eyes and rubbed his face. “Why did I do that..?” He thought of their faces. Each of them stared at him with their own form of anger… resentment… hope? Why did he think of hope? He uncovered his eyes and looked at the key card. There were no hints on it.

_Hey. Come here._

“Come where?”

_Here. I mean here. Here here!_

“Alright, alright.”

Kokichi lay down in his bed, closing his eyes to immediately arrive in his mind. Voice was standing there. He still looked exactly like Kokichi. “Salutations!”

“What do you want?” Kokichi angrily asked.

“The card key, please!” He held out his hand. The smile on his face was meant to be innocent, but Kokichi knew that face. That was the face of liar. Was that the face he made when he lied? If that was true, he was terrified of himself, now. Reluctantly, Kokichi handed over the card key.

“Oh boy!” Voice cheered. “I remember this!” He spun around, investigating the card. “Yeah! I know this! What about you? Oh of course you know what this is!”

“…I do not.” Kokichi shook his head.

Voice gasped dramatically. “Whaaaat?! Really?! Let me tell you, let me say it! This card key leads outside!”

“You’re lying, aren’t you?”

“Nope! No lies! I’m serious here!” Voice confirmed. “Outside there’s nothing! Nothing of value, anyway.”

“What do you mean of value?”

“Why not take a look?!”

The world around the two of them began to shape into modern day Japan. Cities and buildings were standing normally, and people walked on their daily commutes. Kokichi walked up to one random woman and tried to talk to them, but he went right through them.

“What is this?” He asked Voice.

“The outside world!” Voice answered. “However, what’s outside is ##########################################.”

“What?”

“I said, what’s out##########”

 

ERROR

 

ERROR

 

ERROR

 

Kokichi’s eyes snapped open. He was freezing. He looked around frantically to see what had happened. Nothing was wrong around him.

‘Voice?’

‘Voice?!’

There was no answer. Kokichi sighed happily, wiping the sleep from his eyes. A few hours had passed.

_Oh, sorry. What did you say?_

‘You’re still here?! Are you kidding me?!’

_Oh. Sorry to say, I will ALWAYS be here! Just for you, honey! Nothing can change that. I know that for a fact. But—I’m flattered to know I’m thought of!_

“You little sh—”

There was a knock on the door. No voices. No ideas of who it could be. Kokichi stood up and walked over to the door. He cracked it open to see Shuichi standing there.

“Ah! Kokichi, you were here.” He greeted him. His smile turned into a frown. He leaned in to get a better look. “What happened?”

Kokichi looked up. “Something happened?!”

“Ah…” Shuichi stopped. “We’re gathering in the dining hall. Come on.” He grabbed Kokichi by the wrist and began to walk. As they walked in silence, Shuichi finally spoke. “What’d you do with the card key?”

“Nothing.”

“Really, now?” Shuichi raised an eyebrow. “You don’t seem disappointed.”

“I…” Kokichi rubbed his eye. “I guess I am…”

Shuichi looked away. “…Were you talking to someone in there?”

Kokichi halted. “What?”

“I heard you talking to someone.” Shuichi admitted.

Kokichi’s eyes widened. “You’re mistaken.”

“I am not.”

“No—no, you are. I don’t talk to people. That’s too low for a Supreme Leader of evil.” Kokichi pouted.

Shuichi suddenly demanded answers. “Tell me who you were talking to.” He turned to face Kokichi, who was staring at him in pure fear. He flinched as Shuichi lifted his hand to rub his head. His eyes were filled with terror.

Instead of giving him another question, Shuichi smiled. “Tell me about how I died.”

Kokichi suddenly looked confused. “What do you mean?”

“You killed me, right?” Shuichi shrugged. “Tell me about it. Let’s hear what you have to say. Don’t worry, the others will wait for us.”

“…” Kokichi didn’t speak. “…No…”

Shuichi looked away. “So that’s how it is. That’s fine.” He grabbed Kokichi’s wrist again and continued walking to the dining hall.

“Eventually I will get the answers I want. Until then…” He opened the door to the dining hall. “Alright, we’re here.”

Kaito grunted. “I’m sure you already asked him about the card key. You don’t seem surprised, so we’ll move on. We’ve got more important things to do.” He was holding a Flashback Light. In moments, Kaito flicked on the switch without Kokichi noticing.

Kokichi was surrounded in white. Voice suddenly tapped his shoulder, causing him to turn around. He was staring at Kokichi with concern. “Hey. Hey.”

“Wh—” Kokichi halted. “Where’s the flashback?”

Voice shook his head. “You don’t need it.”

“Why not?”

He put his left hand on Kokichi’s shoulder. “You don’t need it at all.” He smiled. “After all, I’m h—”

Kokichi gasped. Memories flooded into him. Meteorites, the end of the world, flyers, posters… propaganda. Then he remembered more. The world had ended. Meteorites destroyed all life on Earth…

“What is this?” Kokichi gasped for air. “What about… what happened earlier… I don’t get it…”

Voice sighed. “Don’t worry. You’re not allowed to worry. You wanted this game, so you’re going to have to survive. Or win. I’d love to see you die, though. Pay for your sins.”

“My… sins?” Kokichi remembered. “…That’s right… They’re all dead. Is this a game meant to hurt me? If that’s the case, they’ll all just kill me together. That’d be lovely…”

Voice laughed. “That’s the sp—”

 

ERROR

 

ERROR

 

ERROR

 

REBOOTING…

 

Kokichi opened his eyes. He was laying in his bed again. There was a small wet towel covering his face. He went to move it, but the act was quickly done for him. Shuichi was standing there, staring down at him.

“Ah! You’re awake.” He smiled with relief.

“…What happened?” Kokichi mumbled.

Shuichi explained what had occurred. “We were given the Flashback Light… I’m not sure if you remember what had been shown, but… when we all came to, you were on the floor and breathing pretty quickly. You were freezing cold.”

Kokichi sat up, being handed a cup of water. “I see…” He took a sip. “So what did the Flashback Light show?”

“It showed meteorites. There were groups calling for the damnation of mankind.” Shuichi explained. “Do you… not remember this?”

“I…” Kokichi looked away. “I can’t say for sure.”

Shuichi shrugged, turning his head towards the door. “I’d best get going, then. You’re alive, after all.”

“…No questions?” Kokichi was surprised. “That’s new.”

“You look like you need to rest.” Shuichi opened the door. “Good night, Kokichi.” He closed it behind him, leaving Kokichi in darkness as the lights flickered off.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fjasdflkasjdaklsjfhasdklfjhasdklfjashdfkljashdfklasjf the nails are in the closet. we're building a ship.
> 
> thank you all so much for your neverending support! <3


	15. Rendezvous with the Second Person

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kokichi and voicekichi play pictochat

Kokichi was laying in his bed, terrified to close his eyes. Whenever he blinked, he did it rapidly. He did not want to fall asleep. He lay there staring at the ceiling, his right arm covering his forehead and his left resting on his chest. Dust particles in the air could be felt somehow as he took deep breaths. His throat felt clogged from the air around him. It was almost like it wasn’t actually air. He wasn’t actually breathing.

Despite his best efforts, Kokichi failed to stay awake. He slipped in and out on consciousness. The only thing keeping him knowing of this was the dimly lit clock in his view. The rest of the monochrome room was evidence that Monokuma was always there.

Eventually, Kokichi closed his eyes officially, waking up in his mind where Voice resides. “Good evening.” Voice greeted him politely. His mirror-like image was sitting in a white throne surrounded by roses. He was sipping purple liquid from a wine glass. It wasn’t wine, that’s for sure. “I’m sure you have questions. I have answers. Though… the answers I have may not exactly be what you want.” Voice set down the glass and stood up. The smile on his face was that of someone who knew exactly how to get what they want. As he walked away from the throne, it disappeared into tiny particles of dust.

Kokichi held his ground, keeping his eyes on Voice as he maneuvered around him. “I have plenty of questions for you.” Kokichi hadn’t ever gotten proper answers, though. It was like he was talking with a child. A child that wouldn’t ever give away what he knew, even if it wasn’t important.

“Ask away, my dear!” Voice pranced around, examining the blank white area around him as if it was new. There wasn’t anything in Kokichi’s mind he wasn’t familiar with. When Kokichi looked around, Voice was always there to look with him. “After all, who knows how long you’ll last? Ask while you’re alive!”

“…If I’m alive at all.” Kokichi narrowed his eyes. “Are you sure I’m not dead? We all saw a funeral, but…” He patted his chest and his arms, raising them to his face. “I’m real. I’m here. I don’t know what’s right anymore.”

Voice trotted over. “There, there! If you were dead, I wouldn’t be here. Be grateful! I know how much you love me being here.” He paused, waiting for a reaction that didn’t come. “But don’t worry! You don’t need to express your love for me. I can feel it!”

Kokichi tilted his head away. “What do you mean by that? You can feel it? Please.” He rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. “I have no interest in you. You’re not my type.”

“You have a type?!” Voice gasped happily. He raised his arm towards Kokichi. A small white table with two chairs appearing as he lowered it. He bounced into his chair, his glass of purple liquid appearing in his hand as he sat. “Please, please! Tell me all about it!”

“You said you could feel it.” Kokichi said critically. “So why do I have to say it?” In front of him, a small tablet appeared. Kokichi grabbed it, trying to turn it on, but nothing happened. The black screen just reflected Kokichi’s image. Voice signaled for Kokichi to hand it to him. As he did, Kokichi noticed that the reflection of Voice in the screen wasn’t there.

“Ah… This machine is what I like to use sometimes. Think of it as my own!” Voice laughed even if there was no joke. He pressed down the button, the screen flashing on in seconds. “I don’t know why it didn’t work when you tried to turn it on.”

Kokichi shrugged, looking away. As Voice fiddled with the tablet, he noticed how dry his mouth was. He turned to his mirror-like friend. “How much do you know about the outside world?” He asked. Voice seemed to be in a good mood, so asking a bit more than usual shouldn’t have problems. “As in knowledge. Actual knowledge about it. No lies. None at all. I can tell when you lie. It’s all over your f—”

“Yeah, yeah. I get it.” Voice grumbled. “I’ll tell you all I know.” He handed over the tablet to Kokichi. On the screen was a Monokuma File-esque article about the Killing Game. It included a long, detailed summary of the rules, the players, and any possible contradictions about it. “Take a look! I wrote it myself.”

Kokichi scrolled through the article. Most of it was stuff he already knew. There were paragraphs about Monokuma, the possible mastermind, who had died, who had killed… And he saw his name listed among those who have killed.

“Is this a joke?” Voice asked. “Oh, it is!” He laughed at himself. “You’re hilarious! Oh, I know I am… Please, don’t remind me!” He was talking to himself. The Voice in Kokichi’s head was insane, it was proven now.

“Can you shut up?” Kokichi interrupted Voice’s chatter. “Please.” He added. “Why would you put that here? How do you know about that, anyway?”

Voice leaned in, wobbling his head over the screen as Kokichi read. “Well, that’s because I’ve always been watching. What else could it be, stupidhead?” He stuck his tongue out. “You think I just appeared in your head at once? Non, non! I’ve always been here. I’ve… always… been here.” He ended off rather slowly. “Anyways! Next!”

Kokichi hesitated before asking his next question. “What’s your… relationship with Monokuma?” He looked up from the screen, his eyes burning into Voice’s. This wasn’t a good thing, however. It seemed as though if Kokichi looked to hard he would burn through Voice’s pale appearance.

“Monokuma?” Voice spoke as though he expected that question. “We’re friends, I guess. I haven’t done him wrong. He’s… done nothing too stupid yet.”

“C-can’t he hear us here?” Kokichi remembered Monokuma appearing out of nowhere and seeming to know what they had been talking about. “Or… is he useless here?”

Voice smiled. That was a sincere reaction. “Of course not. That’s like saying the detective can read your mind.” The glass of purple liquid was empty now. Voice set it down as he stretched out his arms. “Or that the assassin knows about the outside world.” He stood up, his chair disappearing under him. “Or that the supreme leader lies to themselves.”

“What?” Kokichi asked. “What do you mean by that? Is that a joke?”

Voice’s only reply was a laugh. “I thought so, too. Though some of what I said could be true.” He paused, staring at Kokichi with a creepy smile. “Did you have the same idea?”

He shook his head. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, if I have to be honest. You’re talking to me like I know everything. I don’t, actually. I know, I know. Surprising.” Kokichi hissed. “Stop talking to me like a mother with a bad kid in the supermarket. Answer my questions, damnit!”

Voice flinched. “O…kay.” He nodded his head. “I’m sure I can if I try hard enough!” He clapped his hands, grabbing the tablet from Kokichi in a flash. He scrolled through, coming across an unfinished paragraph he had started at the bottom. “The Outside World…” He began. “According to your ‘memories’, the Outside World was destroyed by meteors… You were hunted down from your Ultimate Talent. You were ‘killed’. The world… was destroyed, yet you’re still here. You were killed in the Ultimate Hunt, yet you’re still here. What if those memories weren’t real?”

“Memories weren’t real?” Kokichi’s eyes widened. “What do you mean? I remember them, but…” He trailed off. “How could they be fake? I remember it just like I rememb—” He gasped. “Are you suggesting I didn’t actually…”

“No! No, that’s not it.” Voice interrupted. “You killed them all. I know you did. You killed… _him._ You got away with it. Everyone else died. The real question is why you’re still here.” His eyes began to glow a malicious purple. “It’s because you’re worthless. The only thing you can do is relive these killing games until you’re dead. That itself is pathetic.”

The world around them began to fall to darkness. The white began to shift into a gradient of blacks and greys. Nevertheless, Voice stared at Kokichi with an ominous smile and nearly neon eyes.

“You’re better off dead like the others who you killed. They didn’t deserve to die. They didn’t deserve to die, you did. You were the one supposed to die.” Voice walked over to Kokichi, his arms not swaying as he moved. As he reached him, Kokichi was frozen in fear. Voice held Kokichi’s face in his hands, smiling as he leaned in. The two were face to face as Voice’s cold hands began to freeze Kokichi. “Why not go kill yourself before someone else does? They don’t care about you. The only thing they care about is the truth. As someone who is only a lie, they shouldn’t care about you.”

Voice’s blinding neon eyes burned into Kokichi’s as he woke up. It was the middle of the night. Kokichi was shivering under the blanket.  He stood up, terrified to go back to sleep. He slowly opened the door to his room, careful not to make any noise. He walked outside, breathing in the fresh night air. He headed down the pathway to the school, down the hallway and into the basement. He opened the door to the game room, hesitating to speak.

“M-Monokuma?” He called.

In that moment, the little robotic bear popped up. “You call, and I appear! It’s Monokuma, your favorite bear friend!” He cheered. “How can I help?”

Kokichi was shivering. “I…” He closed his eyes, quickly opening them to a smile. “I wanna try something. I wanna make the game more interesting!”

“More… interesting, you say?” Monokuma asked. “Explain…”

Kokichi made up a plan on the spot, yet he somehow had already had the idea. He explained how he wanted Monokuma to give out a specific Flashback Light. He wanted to appear… different. Kokichi didn’t know why. Evil. Malicious. Terrifying. Feared. He wanted all of this. He wanted to be feared. He wanted them to feel what they had felt when they died. He… longed for that sort of feeling again. The feeling of triumph to know you’ve won.

Monokuma reluctantly agreed by the end of his explanation. He agreed as well that the game was a bit boring recently. The past day was uneventful. Nothing had happened, except…

The bear left the room, leaving Kokichi to stand there in silence. He sighed, rubbing his hands together to generate some sort of heat. He had done something again. He had done another thing he didn’t understand. At least he had gotten something off of his chest. There was something that had been keeping him down, but at least some of it had fallen apart. It was a start.

Kokichi walked back to his dorm room, holding his right arm to his side and slightly limping. It seemed as though every time he slept, he had not gotten any rest. He was asleep, but he wasn’t getting energy. There was dark bags under his eyes at this point. When he looked in the mirror, he could see them. They were like little monsters that stole energy from him. They were like Voice, who caused him to see and believe these things.

He opened the door to his dorm again. Once more, he was back in the room where he resided in the killing game… This was the only relatively safe place. He sat down at the desk, leaning his head down to the board.

“…Why do I try?” He asked. “They’re all gonna die anyway.” His eyes began to tear up. “They all died. I know you’re listening. I don’t care anymore. I saw them all die. I killed Shuichi. They all guessed wrong. I know you saw. I know you see me right now. I don’t know if you care, but if you do, please… Please don’t erase my memories.”

He clenched his fists, his face leaning on the desk. He was crying now. “I can’t live like this, but I have to… I’m so worthless in this killing game. I can’t even kill people… I’m not of any use… Hey… Are they alright?” He was thinking of his old group. He hadn’t thought of them in a long time. Thinking of DICE again made him smile despite his tears. “If they’re okay, let them know I still remember them… Even if my memories… and my mind… are pretty screwed up.”

 

It was quiet.

 

Nobody was answering him. Kokichi fell asleep there, leaning on the desk with his head resting on his arms. For the first time since the game started, he dreamt of life with the others in the real world. For the first time, Voice hadn’t appeared and interrupted him. It was the best sleep he had gotten in forever, it felt like.

 

Something wasn’t right, though. Something really wasn’t right. Why was it that Kokichi kept changing like this? He recognized it himself. He realized that something was wrong. Sometimes he wanted to make light jokes and make everyone happier. Other times, he was prepared to kill someone in the name of ending the game. Even if he hated killing, he knew he did. He had to live with that. Denying the fact that he did would be hypocritical.

He didn’t mind, though.

 

…

 

That was a lie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here be the next chapter in all of its glory!!! this focused more on voice and kokichi's relationship and whatever but  
> im gonna say it again-- voice is so much fun to write ajhskdjagskdajdhfkajsdfhaskasdf
> 
> thank you all for your support! I hope you enjoyed <3


	16. Impairment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kokichi is hit physically and emotionally

Kokichi woke up to the morning announcement, yawning and stretching out his arms. He felt a bit more refreshed then he had yesterday. Realizing he had fallen asleep at his desk, he sat up wearily, finally taking off the bandages on his hand in the bathroom. He looked at himself in the mirror, staring at it for several moments. It was him, despite everything he had been through.

He had headed to the dining hall, realizing that the hall had become a meeting place for every student at the school. As he walked in, he noticed he was the only one who was missing there. Gonta was pleading in a loud voice.

“But we gotta do it! If not now, when?” He asked.

Tsumugi was wearing a terrified look on her face. “That’s reckless! There are still two Exisals, right?!”

“Gonta know… but… watching friends disappear… Gonta no can take.” He clenched his fists and stood in a triumphant way. “That’s why Gonta go fight Monokuma!”

“Fight Monokuma?” Shuichi stuttered.

Gonta looked around with a sad look on his face. “Gonta want to help everyone… By fighting Monokuma, Gonta help end killing game! Gonta know it reckless, but Gonta also know it will help!”

“I know how you feel, Gonta…” Kaito rubbed his head. “But don’t you think you’re getting ahead of yourself?”

Tsumugi agreed. “Yeah, it’s reckless to get ahead of yourself.”

Kokichi entered the conversation, narrowing his eyes in disgust. He tilted his head away from the crowd, tapping his foot. “More like useless. Don’t do that.” He paused to stand up straight. “Even if you did, it wouldn’t end the killing game.”

“…Why not?” Gonta asked, clearly surprised at Kokichi’s words.

“…Actually…” Kokichi hesitated, thinking of Voice’s words. None of them cared about him. Yet somehow, he knew he wanted them all to live. “Why try to end the killing game? It’s getting fun now.” He began to breathe rapidly. “It’s a waste if that’s the case… Y-you’re all whack jobs if you want to end the killing game! Is there something wrong with your heads?”

Kaito had enough. He punched his fists together in anger. “That’s enough! There’s something wrong with your head!”

Kokichi’s body began to drop in temperature. His breaths were staggering at this point. He didn’t notice how pale he was getting. All he had done recently was sleep and engage in conversation. He couldn’t possibly get in a fight. “D-don’t tell me…” His fearful frown began to shape in a childlike smile. “Don’t tell me you guys just aren’t confident enough to win! If you’re really that much of a loser, you’re not gonna get anywhere. You might just lose!” He outstretched his arms. “But don’t worry. Kokichi here has enough confidence for all of you. I’ll win this game, no matter what.”

Maki narrowed her eyes. “Are you planning on becoming the next blackened, then?”

“Me…? The next blackened?” Kokichi thought. He would never take the life of someone else again. He couldn’t bare to kill someone else, but… perhaps he could kill someone who isn’t a different person. “Yeah, sure.”

“Are you lying?” Shuichi asked.

Kokichi laughed. “Of course not! Games are only fun if you actually play them, right? Why not do just that?” His purple eyes began to glow faintly. “So come on… everyone…” He smiled ear-to-ear. “Let’s… enjoy this killing game together! There’s… not many times in your life you can do this, right?” He spun in a circle. Everyone’s eyes were on him. He rocked his head left and right, pacing around the area. “So… Who’s gonna be the next victim? We need someone to kill for this game to continue. Someone, anyone! Start killing already! If you don’t, I’ll do it fo—”

Kaito leapt from his spot and swung his fist at Kokichi. He fell backwards onto the floor, his right hand covering his cheek where he was attacked. The heat of Kaito’s hand began to warm him up again. His childhood resemblance had disappeared yet again behind a mist of fear.

“Kokichi…” Kaito hissed. “What the hell is wrong with you? You’ve always been weird, but this… This is on a whole ‘nother level.” He stared down at the fallen leader with an angry look on his face. “If you keep acting like this, I’m gonna have to knock some sense into you!”

“…” Kokichi was dead quiet. His eyes were focused on nothing in front of him. He just stared off into the distance.

Kiibo put his hand on Kaito’s shoulder. “Kaito. Please stop. Violence is never the answer. There is never a good reason to commit violence. Even such small aggressions could lead to murder.”

Kaito dropped his fist, his shoulders falling in an ease of tension. Kokichi was still on the floor sitting on his knees, his hands covering his face. People began to sit down, but Shuichi walked over to Kokichi. He kneeled down and met him face to face.

“Are you alright?” He asked with a frown. “You shouldn’t have said those things. Talk to me. I’m going to need your reasoning…” He held out his hand to help him up.

Kokichi didn’t grab his hand and stood up on his own, dropping his arms to his sides. His head dangled down in front of him. As he turned to leave, Shuichi grabbed his arm.

“You haven’t eaten.” He pointed out. “You’re going to eat. I don’t care if you want to or not. Go sit down, Kokichi.”

“…” Kokichi walked over to his seat without speaking, hiding his face in his arms as he lay them upon the table.

“If friends gonna fight like this, maybe Gonta have to do it.” Gonta continued. “Gonta go fight Monokuma.”

“As I said, it’s too reckless! You’ll end up getting hurt!” Tsumugi shook her head in disapproval.

“Yeah, it is too reckless.” Miu spoke.

Himiko turned her head. “What’s with the uncharacteristic concern?”

Miu shrugged. “I mean what I say. Gonta’s plan is too reckless.” She suddenly smiled with her typical energy. “Because I, the gorgeous girl genius Miu Iruma, will save you all!”

“Save us?” Tsumugi echoed.

“Got it? Just wait a little bit longer.” Miu nodded her head. “I will bring you to a world where the killing game doesn’t exist. Ooh… I’ll keep it all a secret. I love keeping this tension… I love being a tease!”

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this…” Himiko mumbled.

As their food was prepared the students began to eat quite awkwardly. Shuichi attempted to talk to Kokichi, but he was dead quiet and wasn’t saying a word. He just stare at his food and ate it slowly. Eventually after he finished eating, he looked up at Shuichi with a disappointed look.

“I’m tired.” He said.

“You’re tired?” Shuichi answered like a parent talking to a child. “You’ve slept all day. How are you still tired?”

“I’m tired.” Kokichi repeated. “I’m gonna go back to my room.” He stood up and walked out lifelessly.

Shuichi opened his mouth to speak, raising his hand to stop Kokichi, but quickly closed his fist and looked away. He turned his head to Kaito, who was shaking his head in disappointment.

Kokichi closed the door behind him, taking a deep breath. “Good work.” He spoke. “You kept it together and got what you needed. Congratulations.”

_Yeah, congratulations. I have something for you. Can you come here for a minute?_

“Of course, mon amie. I’ll rush over in just a minute… Hehehe….” Kokichi laughed, breaking his walk into a sprint. Going down the steps outside of the school, he tripped over his own feet, only barely landing properly. “Oh, joyous occasion!” He broke back into his run, sliding into the dormitories and into his room. He did a full 360 spin and landed on his bed, giggling. He closed his eyes eagerly to wake up in his mind.

“Holy… shit.” Voice was watching Kokichi with horror. “You’re literally insane. Calm down. Take a break. You’re going too far.”

Kokichi’s giddy smile disappeared in seconds. “You could tell that was fake?” He sighed. “Shit. I tried really hard on that.” He looked at Voice.

“You’re pathetic.” Voice hissed. “Stop acting like that. All I want to see is you die. Just do that for me before I—”

“What did you want from me?” Kokichi interrupted. “You called me here. I’m ready to hear what you have to say.”

Voice clapped his hands. “Oh. I forgot. Right. Okay.” He shuffled his hand in his pocket, pulling out a small key. He threw it over. “I’d like you to go to ###############. Then, you’ll be able to find your ##############.”

Kokichi nodded. “That’s right. I haven’t seen my—what? Are you okay?” He looked at Voice, whose physical form began to glitch like a bad computer.

“Whoopsies!” He looked down at his glitched-out body. “Sorry, ignore this. You got what I said, right? Remember, go th—”

ERROR

ERROR

REBOOTING.

 

By this time, Kokichi was used to the random outbursts of errors he had found in his mind talking with Voice. Somehow, the key he had been given was resting in the palms of his hands. He stood up and snuck out of his room. In the courtyard of the school, he felt around the floor.

There was a small crack in the floor that Kokichi slipped his hand through. It had been wide enough for it to fit, but when he felt down there, he flicked a switch. The ground began to shake, and he was greeted by a large hole. On it was a place to insert a key. As he turned it, the door opened and was detached. Kokichi opened the manhole to be greeted by a long ladder. He grabbed the cover and brought it down with him, realizing it wasn’t heavy at all. Before so, he closed the door above him. It wouldn’t relock.

At the bottom was a large tunnel. He set down the cover and began to walk down the path. His hand trailed along the tough dirt wall yet none of it rubbed off. It was as solid as rock. As he reached the end of the tunnel he was greeted by a large circular door that opened too easily. The lights inside flickered on and he was greeted with a large room that was assumingly his lab.

The first thing Kokichi’s attention grasped was a large car on display. He rushed over to it and looked inside, seeing that it was fully decorated but there was no engine. It would never drive. He turned around to see masks on the wall with other disguises. They seemed comedic. Glasses with mustaches, masks with terrible paint jobs, and fancy wigs, for example. Kokichi laughed at that as his eyes diverted to the feature of the room. There was a large throne with the D.I.C.E. Logo above it. He rushed over to sit down on it, seeing a small folded article of clothing with a hat resting on top sitting on it instead. He picked up the hat and put it on. It felt natural for him to wear it. Kokichi unfolded the clothing to see that it was a cape. He quickly wrapped it on and turned around to extort his power across the people who weren’t there. It was fun for him.

“There’s so much stuff here…” He murmured, sitting down on the throne.

The next thing he saw was a set of boxes in the corner. He stood up and headed over to look at them, seeing various books and magazines. The one on top was what got him.

_Oh, how beautiful!_

The book on top had a picture of Monokuma with the text “DANGANRONPA”. He flipped open the book and read it. He looked at each page, time passing by without him realizing it. He read about the story of Junko Enoshima and Hope’s Peak. He read about the meteorites and the war of despair. He read about the Gofer Project and the Ultimate Hunt. All of it was straight forward, but it didn’t make sense. The book described that the Ultimate Students used for the Gofer Project were from Hope’s Peak, yet Kokichi knew he had never attended that. He closed the book, fearing he would gain too much information.

Footsteps echoed throughout the hall. Kokichi stood up and turned around. Maki and Shuichi entered, investigating the area around him.

“Ah… Kokichi!” Shuichi gasped, walking over. “You’re here… What is this? Your Research Lab, I assume?”

Kokichi nodded, but before he could speak, Maki spoke. “It’s filled with childish objects. No surprise there.”

“Nice cape.” Shuichi commented. “Is this what Supreme Leaders do in their free time?” He looked over to the boxes Kokichi was looking at. “What’s that?”

Kokichi quickly put away the books. “Nothing, oh nothing! Just evil plans, of course.” He lied. “Why are you two here, anyways?”

Maki headed over from the masks. “If a giant door appeared in the floor of the courtyard, would you investigate?”

“F-fair enough…”

Kokichi went back to his chair and sat down. Maki and Shuichi were looking at each of the objects. Eventually, Maki left, leaving Shuichi alone yet again with the detective that was after him. Kokichi leaned his head on his arm as he sat in his throne, staring down at Shuichi.

“What do you want?” He asked.

Shuichi shrugged. “Answers.”

“Get out.”

“…N-no!”

“Get out, Shuichi.”

“I’m not leaving unless you give me my answers.” Shuichi retorted. “I need to know what’s wrong. There’s something up, I know it. I do. The only way you’ll get better is by talking about it.”

Kokichi stood up, staring down at Shuichi with a cold gaze. “I don’t have to say anything, Shuichi…” He looked into his eyes. “But… I suppose a Supreme Leader must listen to his servants. Very well. You may speak.”

Shuichi smiled. “Alright… Kokichi.” He looked away. “I have my suspicions about you, but… Are you trying to kill us?” His face was soft and gentle, but his tone of voice showed slight fear and overall confidence that masked it all.

“I…” Kokichi narrowed his eyes.

_You don’t want to kill them, you want you kill yourself, right?! Right?!_

“I have… no interest in harming anyone, but I… will harm someone if.. if I must.” Kokichi answered to divert the question. “Next.”

“Is that a clue?” Shuichi began to walk up the steps to the chair. “Who are you referring to?”

Kokichi refused to meet Shuichi’s eyes. “Well, I… I… I mean, uhm… Someone… before… had told me not to kill others… so… I… I’d just have to…” He trailed off.

Shuichi grabbed Kokichi’s arms. “Stop. Stop talking.” He ordered. “Who told you that? Who the hell told you that?”

_Do not tell him about me. DO NOT tell him. Do not… tell him… about me._

“I…I…” Kokichi’s voice began to falter. “I can’t say. I can’t tell you. I’m sorry… I’m sorry. I can’t tell you.”

Shuichi was staring at Kokichi with pure concern. “…I’m sorry for asking.” He let go of Kokichi’s arms. “Please… promise me something.”

Kokichi fixed his hat. “What?”

“Don’t push yourself, okay?” Shuichi closed his eyes with a frown on his face. “I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“…I’m not good at promises.” Kokichi sighed, waving his hand to signify he was done speaking. Shuichi noticed this and sighed before walking out.

 

_Good, good._

‘Very good.’

“Very, very good.”

Voice’s shape appeared in front of Kokichi, smirking at him with a bright glow in his eyes. “I knew you wouldn’t give me up so easily. Good job! Now, there’s a knife in your room that you can use…”

“Shut up, Voice.” Kokichi silenced him.

“Ah…” Voice frowned. “I don’t think you’re the person giving the orders here.” He raised his hand to cover Kokichi’s eyes, causing him to pass out.

“Take a rest, Kokichi. Take a nice, long rest.”

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did you hear that? it was my builders building the ship.
> 
> chapter 16 woo! :D another one of my favorites so far since I've always been a fan of kokichi's lab layout.  
> of course, there will always be things different in a fanfiction and those will begin to show up even more  
> soon.
> 
> thank you all for your support <3


	17. A Grim Discovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kokichi plays touhou and then plays a real life video game

_Beep._

_Beep._

_Beep._

_…_

_“…Alright, levels are stable. Prepare for reinitiating.”_

_“Reinitiating setup ready. Calling on standby.”_

_“Begin the procedure… 3… 2… 1…”_

_“Beginning initiation procedure.”_

…

 

A sharp pain throughout Kokichi’s body jolted him awake. He shot up, realizing he was in his bed. The room around him, though, was different. It was his room, but things were different. There were tons of boxes assorted around and a whiteboard with everyone’s faces were displayed in the corner. Looking at it, the faces were arranged in a killer – victim array. Little notes were written about some of them. For Angie and Korekiyo, the words “Creepy” were written. For Maki and Kaito, the words “Dangerous” were written. For Shuichi, the words “Trustworthy?” were displayed. At the bottom of the board was a small doodle of Kokichi holding up a peace sign. He didn’t write any of this.

Kokichi turned around, seeing several things he quickly recognized. Major items from the previous murders were present. The cameras, the tube, and the Caged Child were all there. He stared at everything in pure horror.

_Do you like my little redesign?_

“…You!” Kokichi whirled around, expecting to see Voice standing in the corner. “You said—you said you couldn’t leave my head… you aren’t…”

_I never said that, darling._

That wasn’t a lie. When Kokichi had asked, Voice hadn’t actually said yes. Realizing this, Kokichi covered his mouth.

_I’m as sad as you are, Kokichi! I couldn’t… do what I wanted… So…_

“What you wanted?” Kokichi dropped his arms, staring at the ceiling. “What is it you want? For me to kill myself?”

_Of course. You must pay for your sins. Remember during the trial with Angie’s murderer? What is it you said again…? Hmm…_

“That… that was…”

_Yes, that was me. Sorry, Kokichi. I will not stop until I get what I want. You have killed every single one of them. It’s only fair you’re next._

“Shut up!” Kokichi shouted. “Get out of my head!” He shot his hands to his head as it ached. His eyes were closed so tightly the only thing he could see is pitch black darkness. “I’m not going to listen to you! I made you up, you don’t exist!”

_Are you sure about that?_

…

_Are you sure I don’t exist? Are you sure you made me up? What if that’s the other way around? Perhaps I made you?_

“If—If you made me, why would you want me dead?”

_Oh. Fair point… By the way, don’t open the door._

“…The d—”

There was a knock on the door. Kokichi walked over, looking into the keyhole. Tsumugi was standing there with a sidelong gaze to the left.

‘Don’t open the door? You’re an idiot.’ Kokichi reached for the handle to open the door.

_NO, STOP!_

Kokichi froze. He hadn’t heard Voice scream like that before.

_Please. Don’t… Don’t let her know I’m here…_

‘Wh—what? It’s just Tsumu—”

_JUST TSUMUGI? Kokichi, that’s—_

“K-Kokichi..?” Tsumugi’s concerned voice could be heard through the door. “Are you alright..? I heard something…”

“I…” Kokichi cleared his throat. “I’m fine, Tsumugi! Just got a little jolt of fright, you know?” He laughed to clear suspicion. “I didn’t know the lamp was that close to my head…”

Tsumugi hummed. “Ah… I see… Okay…” She left the area.

Kokichi shook his head and turned around, lowering his gaze with a sigh of relief. “I need an explanation for that, please.”

_…Kokichi, stay away from Tsumugi._

“That’s a pretty bad explanation.”

_No, you don’t understand. I don’t even understand—but… She’s dangerous. She’s… really… dangerous… B-but don’t tell her I said that._

“Why should I listen to you?”

_Because, Kokichi. I’m your best friend. Only I care about you._

“You told me to kill my—”

_For the sake of everyone else! You have to. I’m not lying. But…_

“Stop talking about that, then… Tell me, what exactly did you do while I was… out?” Kokichi motioned to the boxes, props, and the whiteboard.

Voice was back to his usual self at the change of subject. _Oh, goodness me! I’m just so glad you didn’t look at yourself in the mirror yet! Neeheehee…_

Kokichi gasped, dashing into the bathroom to look at the mirror. He flicked on the light switch, swiftly looking at himself. He looked the same. He rolled him sleeves and looked at his arms which were also the same.

_Hahaha! Made you look!_

“You… are a terrible person.”

_If I count as a person! <3_

 

* * *

 

Upon closer inspection, it was about breakfast time. People should already be in the dining hall, but… Kokichi didn’t want to go there.

He looked at the chair at the desk, seeing his cape and hat laid there in the same way they were in his lab. He grabbed the hat and put it on. It felt right to wear. The cape… not so much. Wearing it made him feel too high. Way too high. Higher then everyone else. At such a height, he could develop a fear of heights.

Kokichi sat on his bed, glancing at the Monopad on the desk. He narrowed his eyes. He hadn’t left it there. Kokichi grabbed the Monopad and turned it on to see that it was his own motive video. He quickly turned it off and covered his ears in case it made any noise. If it played, he knew he would be driven to murder. He didn’t want that to happen. He _couldn’t_ let that happen.

Once he was sure the Monopad was off, he uncovered his ears and sighed. He stood up, heading for the door. He opened the door very cautiously before heading outside. The dormitories were empty as usual. He walked out, seeing that nobody was in sight. Happy not to be bothered, he headed to the game room in pure silence.

The shelf of games was coated in a thin layer of dust. Not many people had been here recently, it seemed. Kokichi admired the diversity of the games on the shelf. Some of them were classics, others were new, and he’d never heard of them. He settled on the couch with the game screen loading. He had picked a game that had seemed interesting. It was a bullet hell with characters he’d often seen before on the media.

Kokichi stayed there playing for hours, slowly letting his mind fall apart in sheer anger at the hardness of the game. Eventually, he threw the controller down in anger.

Cleaning up his little tantrum, Kokichi left the game room and headed back to the dormitories for another rest. He realized how tired he got playing that game and how much more tired he’d get in a day. Heading up the stairs and down the hallway outside the school, he noticed a group of people—Shuichi, Maki, and Kaito, were heading towards the dormitories. Not meaning to follow them but still wanting to sleep, he headed after them into the building.

Opening the door to his room, he noticed that Kaito was looking at him from the door to his room. Kokichi looked at him for moments before quickly entering his room. He heard Kaito try to stop him, but he didn’t stop. He just went in without looking back… He then locked the door.

Moments later, he heard a knock from presumably Kaito. Kokichi called, “Sorry, I’m busy being evil!” Before giggling at himself.

Kaito called back, “Open up, Kokichi! This is important!”

Kokichi thought about it for a minute. “I—I don’t want to get hit again!” He answered. “Sorry, but I’m honestly scared of you!”

“Wha—”

“Kokichi, please open the door.” Shuichi’s voice suddenly rang out. “Kaito is right, this is serious.”

Despite his best efforts, Kokichi reluctantly opened the door to see Kaito and Shuichi standing there. Shuichi looked past Kokichi at the mess Voice had made with his ‘investigation’. His eyes widened, and they darted from Kokichi to the boxes, then back to Kokichi.

“Ah…” Shuichi hesitated. “Right. Sorry. Kaito… had come to—”

“I didn’t come to apologize, Shuichi.” Kaito glanced at the detective. “I came here to affirm myself that he won’t kill someone.” He looked at Kokichi, who had shrunk backwards in fear of another attack if he misspoke.

“I won’t kill another person, Kaito.” Kokichi replied coldly. “That’s all you need to know.”

Shuichi tensed up, looking at Kaito with a “I told you” look. Kaito, seeing this, sighed. “You made it sound like you would… Are you sure?”

Kokichi nodded his head very slowly. “I would never murder someone… but I will kill if I must.”

_Oh, boy, you’re sure about that, aren’t you!!! Hoohoo! You’re finally getting it, boy! Moreover, your feelings are delicious._

“Who are you refer—”

“Forget it, Kaito.” Shuichi looked at the astronaut with a slight smile. “We got what we needed.” He said goodbye to Kaito, who entered his room. Shuichi turned his eyes towards Kokichi with a sudden frown.

“What do you want?” Kokichi sighed exhaustedly. “I was about to sleep.”

Shuichi paused. “I—” He stopped talking. “…Alright, good night.” He turned to leave.

Kokichi called out, “I’m already here. Come on and tell me.”

“I’ll tell you if you talk to me.” Shuichi answered, much to Kokichi’s dismay. He walked off, not even daring to look back at Kokichi, who was staring at him in confusion.

He closed the door behind him only to be greeted by Voice, who was sitting there staring. His stature showed slight transparence and small particles dissolved from him as he sat at the desk. He waved to Kokichi, who was frozen in fear.

“Don’t be scared, Kokichi! It’s just me. I can only stay for a little bit before they—uhm, get rid of me again.” He laughed. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back.”

“You look just like me.” Kokichi pointed out. “Is this a coincidence or are you only showing this form to me?”

Voice blinked before responding. “Coincidence, I guess. Weird question this time, Kokichi. Say, Kokichi. I really like your name. Kokichi… sounds like the name of someone who sends off innocent people to die. Oh! Wait, that’s right! You did do that, right?”

Kokichi shut his eyes. “Shut up… I killed them, I don’t want to remember it. I don’t want to—remember that. It’s never happened, it’s gone. I’m here now. They’re all alive, they—”

“Are you sure this is even real?” Voice pushed. “There isn’t anything to prove that, right? Just your… experiences.”

“Oh, Voice.” Kokichi acted. “You’re so smart… I wish I was more like you!” He smiled as delusional as he could, but it was quickly replaced by a frown and a straight face. “Is what I’d like to say, but you’re just a liar.”

“I’m the liar?” Voice laughed heavily, slamming his fist on the desk in his fit. “That’s… amazing!” He wiped his eyes which began to form tears. “I never knew that! I learned something new about myself today! Thanks sooo much, Kokichi!” He quickly dropped the act. “Say, Kokichi. Do you have a reason to live anymore?”

“A reason?” Kokichi thought. “My reason to live is to live. How hard is that?”

“That’s boring. And you’re lying.”

“I’m not lying. Not now, anyway.”

“Aha! So you DID lie?!” Voice triumphantly pointed his finger at Kokichi.

Kokichi swatted the hand away, but his hand went through Voice’s. His eyes widened, and he looked at Voice, who was smiling.

“Uh-oh! I think they caught me.” He gasped intentionally.

“Who? Who caught you?” Kokichi swarmed. “Was it… the thought police?!”

Voice laughed. “No, no. You’re too young to know.” In the blink of an eye, Voice disappeared into thousands of tiny purple particles. He was gone yet again.

Kokichi, satisfied with the disappearance of his ~~friend~~ , suddenly realized that he was getting more used to the little shit inside of his head. This voice had told him to die, but he was still here. Kokichi was proud of that, but… What if he was right? What if Voice was really right? He shook off the thought and laid down.  He closed his eyes and sighed off his breath.

 

 

* * *

 

 

He woke up in the middle of the day. He lay on his bed for minutes before hearing a knock on the door.

Opening it, he saw Miu. “Hey, Cockichi! Meet in the computer lab on the fourth floor pronto!” She demanded.

“Wh—” Kokichi rubbed his eyes. “Miu? Why?”

“Because, dipshit! If I can find a way to escape from this world, you’re sure as hell I’ll show people!” She bounced. “I better see you there, you hear me?!” In an instant she ran off.

Doing as told out of fear he would be suffocated by boobs, Kokichi headed to the computer room. As he was one of the first people there, he waited for everyone while looking at the setup. It was interesting.

Miu and Himiko entered, followed by Shuichi who walked over to Kokichi without speaking. He didn’t talk to him, but just stood there.

“If we can leave this world, I don’t see why everyone wouldn’t show up…” Tsumugi pointed out.

Himiko pouted. “I dunno. It smells fishy.”

Kokichi laughed. “Doesn’t it smell like something fun will happen instead?”

“You always show up for things like this. I think I’ve got you figured out.” Kaito was staring with slight annoyance.

“Thanks! The key to a mutual friendship is understanding one another.” Kokichi took a slight bow of respect.

“So what’s this way of getting out of here?” Maki went straight to the point.

“We’re goin’ to another world! A world without this Killing Game and Monokuma…” Miu declared, motioning to the setup she had prepared. As people began to murmur questions. “Oh, you wanna know? Do ya? I’ll tell you if you all bow down to me!”

“Huh?” Kokichi paused. “Shouldn’t you be bowing down to me instead?” He smiled. “I am the Ultimate Supreme Leader. C’mon, you want us to listen, right?”

“Isn’t that—” Miu stuttered. “I—I stayed up all night for this, I want t—”

“Alrighty then, everyone! Let’s go!” Kokichi smiled.

Miu gasped as if she was suffocating. “W-wait! I wanna explain!”

Kokichi’s smile turned into a frown, and his eyes were filled with a dull malice. He tipped his head as if to wait for her to speak.

“Um… So when I said another world… I was talkin’ about this big ass computer.” Miu explained. “There’s a device connected to the computer that you can put on your head. It uploads your mind to a program that loads a simulated world.”

“So this is virtual reality, correct?” Maki confirmed.

“It’s more then just virtual reality…” Miu looked sad at this question. “It’s a Virtual World. You can move around without moving here, and stuff…” She suddenly brightened up. “Alright, now let’s go!”

“Huh? Like, to the Virtual World?” Kaito questioned.

“Yeah! Let’s go!” Miu nodded.

“No way!” Himiko pouted. “I don’t wanna!”

“Whaaaat?!” Miu gasped. “We promised we’d all come at the same time!”

“I didn’t promise you anything!” Kaito protested.

Shuichi stepped forward. “Just in case, I have a question… What’ll happen to our minds when we’re inside the computer?”

“In other words, this computer will transfer our consciousnesses into the avatars we use in the World. And then, we’ll have new bodies in a new world without killing and Monokuma! Aren’t I the best?!”

“What will happen to our bodies?” Shuichi asked.

Miu shrugged. “It’s almost like we’re asleep, you know? Like a dream…”

“Like I said, we’re not going.” Himiko pouted again. “It’s dangerous.”

“Shut the fuck up! I’m tellin’ you this isn’t dangerous!” Miu shouted.

“Saying that makes it even more dangerous!”

“Heee?!” Miu shivered. “Am I that untrustworthy? Well then, it’ll be nice of you all to know I didn’t even make this virtual world. Someone else did, apparently.”

Monokuma jumped out from the ceiling. “That’s right! I did! Now then, let me explain! I used a certain program to create the Virtual World—and that program is the Killing Game simulator!”

“Then I’m definitely not going!” Tsumugi decided. “If Monokuma made it, then it’s definitely dangerous!”

_You’re one to talk._

“Wait! Wait!” Miu jumped in. “I stayed up all night deleting every dangerous file! It’s definitely safe, I swear!”

Kokichi nodded. “It’s just a simulator. What’s to worry?”

“No… this is Monokuma we’re speaking of. It may not even be a real simulator. We could never know, right?” Kiibo pointed out.

“You don’t understand…” Miu said. “Once you’re in the Virtual World, you’ll see how fuckin’ awesome it is! So let’s just dive right in, okay? Let’s go together!”

“But you just said it was a killing game simulator, right?” Kokichi asked. “Doesn’t that mean you stayed up all night changing what was once just this?”

“T-that’s right…” Miu nodded. “I rewrote the program and deleted anything dangerous or any weapons…”

“Then… Let’s trust Miu!” Kokichi bounced. “We should trust our friends, right?!”

“Why are you on Miu’s side?” Shuichi asked with a hint of suspicion.

Kokichi shook his head. “I’m not taking her side. I just think this may be a good thing, you know? It may actually help us.”

 _I have a f_ eeling we may find something in that world.” Voice spoke in place of Kokichi.

“I mean, Monokuma probably laid bait to lure us in!” He finished. “Like… a super… duper… crazy secret hidden inside!”

Monokuma answered. “Yeah, of course I have. Like Kokichi said, there’s a crazy secret hidden inside the Virtual World! It’s the secret of the Outside World. All I can tell you is that once you find it, you’ll know what’s happening outside of this academy!”

Tsumugi shivered. “What do you mean? Is there something big happening outside? He’s saying something like there is, but it can’t be, right?”

“Do you think it has to do with those meteorites?” Himiko theorized.

“Is your curiosity peaked? Then you have no choice but to go!” Monokuma laughed.

Kokichi nodded furiously. “Yeah. We wanna know, so we have to go!”

“Kokichi, what’s going on here? Did you know about this?” Shuichi turned to ask him. “That Monokuma is hiding something in the Virtual World?”

“Don’t joke like that…” Kokichi’s eyes glowed. “ _It’s just a hunch._ ” He brightened up. “Oh, right. We can’t ignore it. We could get valuable info… we may even be able to end the killing game.”

“We can end killing game?!” Gonta gasped. “Then Gonta will go!”

“Wait, you can’t!” Tsumugi cried. “It must be a trap set by Monokuma!”

Kiibo shrugged. “If there’s even a chance, we must take it!” He paused. “Yes… that’s what my inner voice is telling me.”

“I think we should go.” Maki spoke. “We’ve been in danger this whole time. It’s no different now, is it?”

Shuichi nodded. “Yeah, I’ll go too.”

“B-but why? It’s definitely going to be dangerous!” Tsumugi was still protesting.

Kokichi shrugged. “No matter how dangerous this gets, we’ll still do it.”

“Fine… I’ll go too.” Himiko sighed. “Being left behind makes me worry.”

“I-If everyone is going…” Tsumugi sighed. “Then I will too…”

“Aha! Now everyone is going!” Kokichi cheered. “That’s great!”

Shuichi looked at Kokichi with question. “Are you planning something?”

“Of course not! After Kaito punched me…” He paused. “I’ve been a different person. So relax. Trust me.”

“I…” Shuichi trailed off.

Miu shouted. “Alright, let’s get started before you cockroaches change your mind!” She grabbed a helmet. “Each of you grab a helmet and sit in a seat!”

Kokichi sat at the edge seat next to Shuichi and across from Miu. As she spoke, he did everything that he was told.

“You see those two ports on the visor? That’s where you plug in the two cords for the computer! The red cord is for consciousness and the blue cord is for memory. I would say more but you idiots wouldn’t understand it. Just plug the two in, and you’re set! Don’t shove ‘em into the wrong hole! And yes, that IS what she said!” Miu laughed.

“Okay fine.” Tsumugi shrugged. “If she said so.”

“Out of curiosity, what happens if you switch the ports?” Kiibo asked.

Miu shrugged. “I dunno. It probably gets all glitchy or something. Maybe you’ll become a different person… maybe you’ll become a vegetable! Who knows?”

“I guess I’ll just have to be careful then.” Kiibo nodded.

“Then, you gotta put the helmet on your head!” Miu finished her speech. “That’s all! You’re ready! Press the button and you’re off to the Virtual World!”

Everyone was prepared, and so was Kokichi. He put on the helmet and leaned back, pressing down on the button.

His vision went black. The Academy Logo was broadcasted in front of him with text saying, “Welcome to the Neo World Program”. Everything faded into a room. He was staring at the wall.

“So this is the Virtual World Program. I see, I see…” Kokichi nodded his head. “This is my avatar, too… Uh-huh…”

He turned to Kiibo, slapping him in the face. “What was that for?!” Kiibo protested.

“Oh… so it hurt… I see, I see…” Kokichi was deep in thought.

Kiibo was surprised for a moment. “Now that you mention it, I did feel genuine pain.”

“That’s so cool…” Kokichi smiled.

Behind him, he heard someone had entered. He saw Miu. He heard another person enter. Looking around, he didn’t know who that could be.

“K-Kokichi?” Shuichi reached out to him with his hand.

“What?” Kokichi asked. He backed up, tilting his head. He saw Shuichi looking behind him. Kokichi turned around. There was another one of him. There was a second Kokichi.

 

“Who… is that?”

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the virtual world has begun! but whom is this mysterious kokichi?  
> ok you can probably guess it :shrug:
> 
> anyways i'll try to update tomorrow! see you all then ! <3


	18. A Digital Fanfare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kokichi plays the nendoroid game in virtual reality

“Who… is that?” Shuichi asked with cold fear in his voice.

Kokichi turned around, seeing a second Kokichi standing there with a slight smile. His arms were behind his back and his hands were locked together. He stood there, as if waiting for someone to speak.

“V—Uh, are you…?” Kokichi didn’t know what to say.

The second Kokichi nodded. “Oh. Hello! Kokichi, have you eaten differently lately? You look very different…”

Kokichi gasped. “Voice?”

Kaito jumped up next to Kokichi. “Who the hell are you?”

“Who the hell am I?” Voice laughed. “Who the hell is he? I’m Kokichi… Am I the same Kokichi? Oh boy! That’s a good question!”

“The hell is wrong with this guy…” Kaito grunted under his breath.

Shuichi and Miu had walked up to Kokichi as well by now. Shuichi was standing strangely close to Kokichi. They were just barely touching. Kokichi could tell he was trembling. So was he, honestly.

Voice held his smile, opening his arms for Kokichi to hug him. Kokichi, however, didn’t move. He was frozen there in fear. “No? No hug? That’s a rude way to greet a guest.”  He walked up to Kokichi, putting his freezing cold hands on his face. “Come with me, okay? _You know how they feel about you._ ”

Kokichi reluctantly nodded, glancing at everyone before he was dragged away by the wrist. Shuichi called out then.

“Wait, Kokichi!”

Voice turned around with a dead glare. Kokichi did not look back at all. His shoulders were drooping down, and he couldn’t look up from his gaze on the floor. Voice’s eyes were glowing faintly with the dimly lit avatar. When nobody spoke, he walked away with Kokichi behind him.

“…Where are we going?” Kokichi mumbled as they walked down the hall.

Voice smiled back at him. “Somewhere very, very important to me.” He turned his head back to face forward. Kokichi noticed that Voice looked a little… sad?

The two turned a sharp corner to go up the stairs. Each step echoed throughout the quiet halls. Voice had let go of Kokichi’s wrist by now. He seemed sure that Kokichi would still follow him. Kokichi, on the other hand, did not know exactly why he was following the being who wanted him dead.

The two stepped onto the rooftop, gaining a vast landscape’s view. Voice headed to the corner and came back with a knife.

“I thought all dangerous items were deleted.” Kokichi noticed.

Voice laughed. “Do you think I care? If it’s deleted, just go hop into the recycling bin and you’ll find it again.”

“What are you gonna do with it?” Kokichi asked in a dreary tone. He was getting tired. “Kill me? That’d be…”

“No, no.” Voice gasped. “I can’t kill you here. But…”

He dashed over to Kokichi with the knife in hand, stabbing him in the chest. Or so it seemed. The pain of stabbing him in the chest was there, but the knife didn’t go through. Kokichi fell back, clenching his chest.

“As I thought.” Voice laughed. “You can feel pain that isn’t there. It’s not real, Kokichi. You’re not real here. Though honestly, you’re not real anywhere.”

Kokichi was still frozen on the ground, crying from pain that wasn’t there. Voice stare down at him with a dead look. He didn’t seem to care. Voice continued to “stab” Kokichi until the boy passed out. As he lay there, Voice noticed that Kokichi looked less like a leader and more like a follower. He seemed to be one of the many mindless supporters in the crowd, not the person at the front giving orders. But Kokichi laying there was peaceful.

 

Too peaceful.

 

“…”

 

“…Voice?”

 

“Voice, I know you’re there. Come out and talk to me.”

 

“…”

 

“…Shuichi?”

 

“Anyone?”

 

_“…Procedure starting…”_

_“Reboot successful.”_

 

Kokichi sat up in a flash, swirling his head around to see where he was. He was alone in the middle of a field. Snow had fallen. Kokichi stood up in a flash and dashed out of the rooftop, trying to find someone—anyone—anyone except for Voice.

Where was Voice?

Kokichi left the manor building after checking the map. He sprinted towards the Chapel where he had assumed people were. But… they didn’t care for him. Why was he so determined to find them? Was it fear? No, he wasn’t scared. He couldn’t be scared. As he reached the Chapel he slammed open the door. Voice wasn’t there, but everyone else was.

“Kokichi!” Shuichi ran over. “Where have you been?”

“…” Kokichi was panting. He could still feel pain all over his body. By sprinting here he had overcome it, but now that the adrenaline was gone if felt like he was dying. “I… I don’t know…”

“Are we sure that’s Kokichi?” Maki’s eyes narrowed. “It could be the other one. He could be lying again.”

Kokichi flinched, causing Shuichi to shake his head. “This is Kokichi. I know it is.”

Gonta smiled. “Oh, Kokichi is back!” He looked at the supreme leader with understanding in his eyes. This caused Kokichi to question what Gonta was confirmed of.

“Are you sure?” Kaito questioned Shuichi one last time. “I don’t know… It seems awfully strange.” He shook his head. “I trust you though, Shuichi.”

Shuichi smiled at this, quickly turning back to Kokichi to keep him standing. “We need to log him out. Now.”

Miu laughed. “Oh please! He isn’t actually hurt. There isn’t anything here that could hurt him!”

Kokichi stood up on his own. “Y-yeah, I’ll be fine. What are you guys up to in here? Is there something about the secret of the outside world?”

Himiko nodded. “Searching this place… will be really hard…”

“Well, now that we’ve checked out the important areas of the Virtual World, let’s split up to find the secret of the outside world!” Miu smiled.

“It looks like we have a difficult task ahead of us…” Kiibo said.

Miu began to assign roles to everyone. She turned to Kokichi and said, “Kokichi, you’ll check the salon.”

“I—I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Shuichi interrupted.

“What do you mean, shithead? Of course it’s a good idea!” Miu hissed.

“No, I mean… What if the _other one_ comes back?” He glanced at Kokichi momentarily. The words “other one” were dreadful. “I’ll go with him.”

Miu was shocked at this. She had _wanted_ Kokichi to be in the salon alone. She was going to kill him—she was going to kill him and it’d all be over.

“Don’t worry, Shuichi.” Kokichi smiled. “I’ll go by myself.”

Shuichi opened his mouth to reply. “I… Okay…” He sighed. “I’ll trust you to be safe… But… if _he_ shows back up, then…”

Kokichi nodded. “Mhm! Don’t worry.”

As soon as everyone’s jobs were assigned, Kokichi ran off to the salon. He was with Tsumugi, Shuichi, Kaito, and Gonta around the mansion. They crossed over the bridge but was quickly surprised to see Miu behind them on the other side of the bridge.

“Whoops. My hand slipped.” Miu shoved the makeshift bridge off the rock and watched it flow down the river.

“What are you doing?!” Tsumugi gasped.

“I just came here to see you guys off and my hand slipped.” Miu laughed.

“That was obviously on purpose!” Kaito interjected.

Miu was surprised. “Wha—no! It was an accident! If you guys keep talking like that to a beautiful girl all you’ll ever attract are ugly bitches!” She ran off.

“Tch…” Kaito clicked his tongue in frustration.

Shuichi looked across the bridge. “I’m not worried about us, but… how are the other people going to log out now?”

“Oh, you’re right.” Tsumugi looked across the river. “You can only log out from the salon.”

“We’ll deal with them later.” Kaito suggested. “First, we gotta find the secret of the outside world.”

As they entered the building, Kokichi headed towards the salon as he was told.

Shuichi grabbed his arm. “If there’s something wrong, tell me.” He directed, letting go and walking away.

Kokichi looked on as he headed into the salon. He opened the drawers and looked under chairs. There was nothing in here, so why was he sent to the salon? He spent a bit there, looking through everything. He didn’t know where Voice was. He didn’t speak to him after… But Kokichi was worried knowing that he could be out there doing something as him. They looked identical.

He immediately halted when he heard a loud bang. He had been in the middle of searching when he shot up from the floor in a panic. He hesitated to move, but quickly dashed to the dining hall. He had hoped to find Tsumugi and Shuichi there, but nobody was to be found. Glancing around, he dashed out of the building to look for everyone.

_What’s the matter, Kokichi?_

Kokichi skidded to a halt, looking around. “Voice?! Voice?!” He called. “Where are you?!”

_I’m right here, Kokichi._

Suddenly, Kokichi was hit by a wave of memories. Voice’s memories. He suddenly remembered everything that Voice had done. He had talked with Gonta. He had persuaded Gonta to kill Miu. He remembered seeing Miu strangled to death by toilet paper. He remembered all of Voice’s suspicions. But then he remembered why Voice didn’t let Kokichi die. This reason made him sick to his stomach.

 _I would never let someone else kill you, Kokichi._ He had heard him say. _Only you, only you… Only will I let you kill yourself. Of course, I don’t mind seeing you executed either._

“What do you mean, Voice?! Are you in my head again? You’re not… hurting them, right? You haven’t…”

 

_…_

 

“…!” Kokichi dashed towards the river. He saw Kiibo, Maki, and Himiko on the other side of the bridge. On his side was Shuichi, Tsumugi, and… Gonta…

“W-where’s the bridge?!” Himiko gasped.

“We need to find a replacement—” Kiibo ordered.

Kokichi suddenly thought of words to say. “The bridge is over there, though.”

“What do you mean?” Shuichi asked.

“Come on, follow me.” He motioned, and people followed. He lead them down the river to the rock where the signboard resided. He didn’t know it was here, so then… Did Voice tell him that without actually speaking? “See? The signboard.”

In a flash, Gonta picked it up and began to run back towards the others. The group of three followed him.

“So Gonta just need to put board over river? But board so thin… what if it break?” He asked frightfully.

“It’s sturdy wood!” Kokichi snapped. “Just put it down already!”

He put the bridge down and every came across. “We need to log out right now.” Maki directed.

“Log out? Why?” Shuichi asked.

Kokichi looked around. “Where’s Miu?”

Himiko gasped. “Something happened to her!”

Kiibo nodded. “Her avatar isn’t moving. We’re not sure what happened. Maybe something happened in the real world that prevented her from using it?”

Kokichi flinched. He grabbed the bottom of Shuichi’s shirt in fear. By this point, he was shaking. “L-Let’s log out, guys. ASAP.”

“…Where’s Kaito?” Maki asked quietly.

Shuichi looked at her. “I—I don’t know. I didn’t go to the rooftop before coming here.”

“You’re that cold you wouldn’t go check for him!?” Maki ran towards the manor, and everyone followed promptly behind her.

They all ran into the salon, each of them signing out at a time. Shuichi walked in with Maki, slowly walking over to Kokichi. He put his hand on his shoulder and leaned in to whisper.

“Is he gone?”

Kokichi’s eyes widened. Shuichi was talking about Voice. Kokichi, not knowing how to answer, tensed up. He clenched his fists and looked down.

Shuichi sighed, standing back up. “I’ll go next, then.” He picked up the telephone. “Shuichi Saihara.” He said, teleporting out of the Virtual World.

Kokichi, being the last person to leave, walked over to the phone. “…Kokichi Oma.” He said, his vision suddenly going black. It was dead quiet for several moments, but then he heard loud gasps. Noticing the helmet on his head, he quickly reached to pull it off. What he was greeted with was sickening.

People were surrounded by Miu Iruma’s dead body. She was in her chair, her arms reached up to her throat. Tears had rolled down her cheeks. She looked terrible.

_Happy day! Happy day! Happy occasion!_

“…What did you do?” Kokichi spoke out loud. He had a tone of voice he hadn’t used before. “What the fuck did you do?”

The only person who had turned to face Kokichi was Shuichi, who was surprised at Kokichi’s tone of voice.

Kokichi was staring at Miu’s body with pure hatred. His eyes betrayed everything. Fear, happiness, excitement, anger, hope, despair, truth, lies… everything. He didn’t know how to feel. He didn’t understand what he was feeling. Shuichi, realizing that Kokichi was frozen, cleared the distance between them and put his hands on his shoulders. Their eyes were leveled.

“Stick with me.” Shuichi ordered. “You… you can’t lose yourself like this. You have to remain here. You’re here. We’re here. We have to… solve… this case…”

Kokichi was trembling. He slowly formed a nod. “I’m sorry…” He choked out.

“This is terrible…” Tsumugi cried as Monokuma appeared. Nobody listened to his announcement. “How… how did it end up like this?”

“W-what’s… going on? Why was… Miu… killed?!” Himiko shook.

“Gonta no understand either. Miu like this when Gonta woke up!” Gonta cried. “Hey, what going on? Why this happen!?”

_Liar, liar… Pants on fire…_

“Hey. Where’s Kaito?” Maki asked.

On cue, Kaito slammed open the door. “What the hell was with the body discovery announcement?! W—” He looked at Miu. “What happened?!”

“You’re too late.” Kokichi shrugged. “We’re already done gasping in terror. But where were you, Kaito? We couldn’t find you in the Virtual World.”

“I was taking a nap.” Kaito answered instantly.

“So you logged out to sleep without telling us?” Kokichi confirmed.

“I didn’t mean to log out. It happened so randomly. I just… woke up here.” Kaito admitted. “I didn’t try to log out, you know?”

Shuichi tilted his head. “You were logged out involuntarily?”

Kaito nodded. “I didn’t know if it was okay to log back in, so I went to my room and slept. And when the body discovery announcement played I ran as fast as I could here—”

Kokichi smiled. “If you’re gonna lie, be good about it.” He suggested. “Do you think you can make this more interesting with a crappy lie like that?” He didn’t want to speak. It just happened.

“That’s not a lie! I was asleep, I swear!” Kaito stuttered.

“Hold on a minute.” Shuichi intervened. “We can discuss whether or not it was a lie later. Right now, we need to investigate who killed Miu.”

Kokichi looked at the detective. “You seem ready… Of course you are.” He began to shake in the cold air. “One of your good friends died. Now it’s your time to shiiiiiine!”

“Explain it however you want, Kokichi.” Shuichi sighed. “If we don’t find out who the murderer was… we’ll be _executed_.”

Kokichi flinched at the last phrase. _We’ll be executed._ Kokichi’s hands shot to his mouth. He hadn’t gotten like this in a bit. He hadn’t thought about when they’d all died in so long—he thought he’d forget… How could he forget? He killed them all! That’s why Voice wanted him dead. With wide, fearful eyes, Kokichi dashed out of the computer room.

 

“Wait! Kokichi!” Shuichi called.

 

Kokichi didn’t stop. He dashed out of the area, down the stairs. He sprinted to his room as fast as he could. He didn’t stop. He couldn’t stop. He was trying to stop. He couldn’t. Why couldn’t he stop?

He stopped running. He was standing in the middle of the pathway to the dorms outside. He looked up at the sky.

 

_Sigh… There’s the knife in the dining hall…_

“Shut up, Voice.” Kokichi’s voice shook. “Just shut up.”

_I can’t do that. I can’t do that!_

“Hey, Voice…”

_..?_

Tears rolled down his cheeks. He didn’t want to cry. He just… let it all out.

“Voice… I thought it couldn’t rain here.”

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -> to be continued
> 
> a wild chapter 18 appeared! i hope you all liked the virtual world arc...  
> prepare for investigation! drama! death! despair! shuichi!  
> next time, on reconcile ball z


	19. Skip a Spot, Die Another

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sad kokichi is sad

Kokichi was leaned over the sink, staring down the drain in pure boredom. He had calmed down again, but something just didn’t feel right. Turning around, he saw an extremely transparent figure of Voice sitting on a chair in his room. He was staring at Kokichi with a wide smile. His arms were placed neatly on his lap.

“Are you done whining yet?” He asked with a monotonous tone.

“Mmm…” Kokichi hummed, sitting on his bed next to Voice. “So you’ve decided to haunt me like this now? What ever happened to ‘they found me’?”

Voice chuckled. “Of course, of course. _They_ are probably paying more attention to the virtual world and the murder. After all, it was pretty elaborate. Shame, though. It may not fully work.”

“What do you mean?” Kokichi glanced at him.

“You don’t understand yet?” Voice’s eyes narrowed. “Do you choose to be retarded or does it come on naturally?”

Kokichi crossed his arms. “I’d like an answer…”

“ _I’ll tell you if you talk to me._ ” Voice broke into a fit of laughter. “Isn’t that what your little friend told you?! Oh, how sad!”

“He’s not my friend. I just trust him more then those other assholes.” Kokichi tapped his foot impatiently. “I’ve been talking to you, too! Why aren’t you just going to explain the shit you get me into?”

Voice leaned back in the office chair. “…I killed Miu! Well, not really. But a little? Not really. Just a little? Eh… only a bit.”

Kokichi boomed up. “YOU WHAT?!”

“Wait!!!” Voice jumped up and backed up. “I’m not the blackened! I swear!”

“Then who is?”

Voice’s fearful demeanor dropped into a malicious smile. He leaned in. “Gonta is, of course.” He laughed.

“G-Gonta is?” Kokichi gasped. “I don’t believe that!”

“You wanted the truth, and there it is. There’s no reason to hide from it, neglect it, or any of that pathetic crap of yours. Deal with the truth. You have it now.” Voice stated.

“Gonta… wouldn’t do that… What did you do to him?” Kokichi thought of the ‘gentleman’. “He… he wouldn’t have done anything to hurt anyone!”

“That’s what I thought,” Voice shrugged. He took his seat once more. “But it wasn’t that hard to persuade him. I just told him it was a plan to defeat the mastermind. As if he’d think that.”

“Why were you there at all?” Kokichi hissed.

Voice looked at him as if he didn’t expect to hear that. “To try and kill you, of course. Not directly. That’s too easy.” His narrow eyes widened once more, glowing a faint neon. “If I’m going to hurt someone, I’d better make sure they fucking feel it.”

Kokichi flinched. He shouldn’t have spoken. “I’m sorry…” He mumbled.

“There, there!” Voice patted Kokichi’s head. His voice was bright and cheerful now. “I’m not a bad person, you see! I’m very pacifistic. I’d never murder someone!”

“…murder…”

Voice tipped his head. “What was that?”

“Define murder.”

“Hmm….” Voice looked up. “The killing of an innocent person…” He gasped. “Oh! But that’s the thing. I’d never murder someone. Neither you nor Miu were innocent. That wasn’t murder, it was punishment for her sins!”

“What did she do?” Kokichi asked.

Voice laughed. “Oh, you don’t wanna know!” He paused. “No, you do, actually.” He stood up in a grandiose fashion. “She… was going to steal my prey!” In his hand, Voice pulled out a small bottle of poison.

“…Your prey?”

“Of course!” Voice smiled. “She was going to kill you! Now, now… I can’t let her do that. That’s too easy!” He did that damn creepy hand-face thing again, but this time his breath was right in Kokichi’s face. It was freezing. “Only Kokichi Oma can kill Kokichi Oma.” He flew back, taking a somewhat graceful spin before posing like an anime girl. “But don’t worry! Voice here is here to save the day! I’ll make you pay for your sins!” He held up a peace sign.

Moments after they stared at each other in silence, Voice spoke. “Well, I don’t want them to hunt me down again. Give me your hand.”

Kokichi hesitated. “No…”

“…You’re too wary for your own good.” He grunted, vanishing into particles. Voice was gone yet again, but Kokichi was sure he’d be in his head again.

Tired of being in his room, Kokichi stood up and headed towards his lab. He wasn’t in the mood for investigating. There was no point. He knew Voice was telling the truth. He knew when someone would lie.

Leaving his room and the dorms, Kokichi walked into the school building. He lifted the small cover to his lab, climbing down the ladder. As he walked down the pathway, he heard footsteps. Freezing, Kokichi was greeted by a wandering Kiibo.

“It’s you.” Kokichi muttered.

“Sorry if I’m not who you wanted.” Kiibo sounded just as displeased. “I was looking for you—rather, Shuichi was looking for you. We needed your testimony before we continue.”

Kokichi hesitated before nodding. “…Alright…” He agreed, heading back towards the ladder. He climbed up before Kiibo, heading towards the computer room.

Kiibo nearly ran into Kokichi when he came to a halt. “Hey, Kiibo?” He asked very quietly. “I’m sorry if I offended you. I really am, but…” He looked away. “Please don’t take anything I say as the truth.” He kept walking. Kiibo didn’t say anything, just walked along with Kokichi with a small frown on his face.

_Don’t worry, Kokichi. Don’t worry at all! Worst case scenario, we’ll go through this all over again. All over again… Neeheehee!_

As they headed up the steps, Shuichi opened the door to the computer room and looked around, relieved when he saw Kiibo and Kokichi walking over. “You found him! Where was he?”

“He was going to his lab.” Kiibo explained, walking past Shuichi into the computer room. “Good luck, detective.”

Shuichi waited for Kiibo to go. His head slowly turned from the door to Kokichi. The boy was shivering. He was clenching the bottom of his shirt, almost in frustration. He was biting down on his tongue to avoid releasing the energy built inside of him.

“Kokichi, I—”

Kokichi fell onto Shuichi, wrapping his arms around him. He was hugging him—he was _scared_. He didn’t know what was happening. Voice could make him go through everything again—and again—and again—and again—he would have to do this so many times, he would do this until the day he died—why not just end it before that starts? Why not just go to the dining hall like Voice says and—

“Kokichi, it’s alright…” Shuichi whispered. “I’m here. You’re here. We’re both here, alive and well. There’s nothing to worry about.”

“I’m here…” Kokichi made the words out. “I’m here… I’m here.” He smiled, looking up at Shuichi. “I’m sorry.” He laughed. “I must look really pathetic right now, especially for a Supreme Leader… You don’t need me here, right..?”

Shuichi’s eyes widened. “No! You’re not pathetic. Just…” He lowered his arms. “I know… I know you’re not the murderer… You just… have to prove that to everyone else.”

Kokichi stepped back. “How do you know that? I could be the killer. I could have killed Miu. I’ve always shown hatred towards her.”

Shuichi shook his head. “I just know it. You couldn’t have…”

“What makes you so sure?” Kokichi smirked, spinning around. “I could kill anyone here. Right here, right now. None of you would know.” His shivering came back. “But that’s fine. I’ll just kill someone that I don’t care about any longer.” He pointed at his own face. “That’s right, Shuichi! I’ll become the next blackened to save all of you!”

Shuichi grabbed both of Kokichi’s wrists. Kokichi looked into his eyes. They were filled with so much more fear then he’d even known. It was more fear then at the executions. It was even more fear then everyone’s death at the same time. It was more fear then at his own death. “Don’t talk like that. I can’t afford to… lose… someone else.”

Kokichi lowered his eyes. “I’m sorry.” He smiled much more warmly then the last. “Let’s… go get my alibi situated, okay?”

He nodded, opening the door for Kokichi to walk in. Everyone was engaged in their own conversation. Shuichi stood with Kokichi in a place where everyone could hear if they had to.

“The second Kokichi.” Shuichi started, “Who is he?”

Kokichi sighed. “Do you want my answer or the truth?”

“The truth.”

“I… figured you’d say that.” Kokichi rubbed his sleeve. “He’s… I don’t actually know… He’s just… there. I’m not actually sure.”

“I see.” Shuichi thought. “Where did he take you after we all logged in?”

Kokichi looked away. “To the rooftop.”

“What did he do?”

“He…” Kokichi tensed up. “I remember pain. A lot of pain. He had a knife, but… when I woke up, I was in the corner of the map. I… hurt all over. I don’t know what he did to me after I passed, but…”

Shuichi was quiet. “They… they stabbed you?”

Maki had appeared without either of them noticing. “Who stabbed him?”

Kaito was right behind her. “Maki Roll, what’s the matter?”

Shuichi looked at Kokichi, who shook his head. He didn’t want them knowing. “Sorry. We’ll save it for the trial.”

Maki narrowed her eyes. “Do you want to die?”

“N-No, I—”

“It’s fine, Maki Roll!” Kaito smiled. “Let Shuichi get his alibi… Even if it may have farces.” The two walked away.

“Continuing… what happened next?” Shuichi nodded.

Kokichi thought. “I was pushed by the urge to find you guys. So I did, and that’s when I met up with you guys.”

Shuichi nodded. “That’s a pretty solid 10… 20 minutes.” He was deep in thought. “Didn’t we go to the roof ourselves? You weren’t there.”

“I dunno.” Kokichi shrugged. “I’m just saying what I remember. Do you want the rest of the story or not?”

“Y-yes! Of course!”

“Alright…” Kokichi sighed. “After we were all in the Chapel, our roles were assigned. I went to the salon, and Miu destroyed the bridge… I searched the areas, then…”

“You heard Kiibo’s shout!?” Shuichi gasped. “He was in the Chapel.”

Kokichi tilted his head. “What? That’s odd. You shouldn’t be able to hear anything between the Chapel and Mansion. That’s what Miu said.”

“You’re right!” Tsumugi was listening. “You shouldn’t be able to hear anything beyond the loading point. How were we able to hear Kiibo while we were in the Mansion?”

_Maybe… someone’s lying._

Kokichi had said Voice’s words out loud accidentally.

“Did you hear the bang, Kokichi?” Shuichi asked.

_Hmm… That’s odd. I must have been too busy searching!_

He did it again. He spoke Voice’s words.

“You’re lying straight to his face!” Kaito interrupted.

“You like to interrupt me when I talk.” Kokichi was speaking in place of Voice now. Everything he said he didn’t mean to say. “Do you like me or something?”

“Who would like you, dumbass?! I was interested in Shuichi’s conversation!” Kaito shouted. “You heard Kiibo. Could you tell me more about that?”

“I basically said everything.” Tsumugi nodded.

“As we left the Mansion to head to the Chapel, we saw Gonta. We met up with Kokichi, too.”

“We used the signboard as a bridge.” Kokichi finished.

As the others went on, Kokichi felt a bit less hopeless then before. Right now, he was needed to fill in some blanks. Some facts, however, he didn’t understand; they just appeared.

He looked away. “I dunno, Shuichi. This feels weird.”

“What does?” Shuichi looked over.

“Actually investigating.”

“You didn’t do shit!” Kaito pouted.

Kokichi frowned. “Alright, alright. I’m gonna go ‘investigate’.” He turned around. “If you need me, I’m in my lab… Investigating!” He smiled, quickly sprinting out of the computer room. His run was almost a skip. The trial would start soon, and he still had business to take care of.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sad kokichi is sad intensifies im sorry if its pullin' on your heart strings but THIS IS  
> A03 WE ALL NEED SADNESS IN OUR STORIES. (●︿●)
> 
> thank you all for your support <3


	20. Super Driver

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kokichi gambles

Kokichi was walking down the hallway with his hands locked behind his back. He whistled a song he recognized. He knew now that Voice tricked the culprit—but is Gonta really the culprit? He’s too innocent for his own good. But there is nothing more terrifying then innocence. Yet somehow, it is still beautiful.

The walls of the hallway were beginning to seem much more familiar to him. He had not walked down these paths all his life, yet somehow it felt like he did. He didn’t remember anything else. Nothing. Not his family, either. Did he have a family? If so, did they know where he was? What about the meteors? Did they exist, or were they made up?

If the ‘end of the world’ situation was fake, then Voice wasn’t lying. Monokuma was. If that were the case, then wouldn’t everything they were told in the Flashback Lights false?

Kokichi skidded to a halt. He nearly fell down the steps. Carefully stepping down, he headed towards his lab.

He headed down the ladder, leaving the cover open so people could find him if needed. As he walked through the tunnel, he froze.

_…stable…_

He kept walking, feeling as though he hadn’t heard anything.

_……blood levels…._

His paced walk began to speed up.

_Preparing daily…………. inhibition…….._

Kokichi broke into a run—not for his life, but as though he was being chased by an unknown force. It was as though there was something that was following him—he didn’t know what it was. Eventually, he had sprinted to his lab, slamming the door behind him.  He let out a sigh and headed to his chair.

“…Voice…” He groaned. “Voiiiice….”

_What?_

“I’m bored.”

_So am I. Wanna see what I’m doing?_

“If it’s killing me, then no.”

_No, no! Hang on._

Kokichi waited for a few moments before Voice appeared with a deck of cards. “I was playing Solitaire.” He explained, jumping up to sit next to Kokichi in the same throne. “Wanna try?”

“We don’t have a place to play here.” Kokichi pointed out.

Voice raised his hand, particles falling from him. They joined together, sparking an individual light that would eventually die out and form into another. Eventually, they all made a table together. Voice set the cards on the table, quickly laying them out as if he knew what he was doing all too well.

“Where… did the table come from?” Kokichi asked. “How did you do that?”

“…” Voice thought. “Magic.”

“Not you, too!” Kokichi sighed.

Voice began to show Kokichi the rules to his own version of Solitaire. Most of it was the same, but each of the cards were Monokuma themed. Kokichi smiled at this, as seeing the little robotic bear on anything like a card was funny on its own.

Kokichi was playing Solitaire himself now. Voice watched him go with eagerness in his overly happy gaze. “Why not spice things up a bit?” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small green bottle. “Whoever does the worst has to drink this!”

“That’s… poison.” Kokichi hinted. “But why not? I’ll win anyways.”

The two began their own game of Solitaire.

.

.

.

“DONE!” Kokichi shouted. His voice echoed through his lab.

“…Shit!” Voice cursed. “Oh well, good game…”

“Drink it.” Kokichi urged.

Voice stuttered, “W-well, the th-thing is, this is lethal! I need to save it—but even if I drank it—I wouldn’t die.”

“Why not?”

“I’m a fucking error message you find on a computer screen. Why would spraying it with bleach kill it?” Voice looked at Kokichi with a blank look. The analogy helped. “If anything, I’ll just glitch out and be inactive for a bit.”

“Then do it!” Kokichi urged with a smile.

“No!” Voice refused. “I need to keep myself alive.”

“…For what?”

Voice looked at him. He narrowed his eyes with a sad look. “What do you think?” He simply asked. “What the hell do I always talk about?”

Kokichi shrugged. “Oh well. Deal with me!” He stood up, the table and cards shattering. “I’ll be good, I swear.” He began to walk towards the door. Voice watched in sadness.

“Wait for me!” He called, dashing up. “Wait—I wanna come with you.” He urged.

Kokichi twisted around. “I’m sorry, what? You want to come with me? I thought you hated me.”

“How could I hate my favorite person?” Voice laughed. “ _I’ll be good, I swear._ ”

Kokichi shook his head with a smile. He headed down the pathway with Voice trailing behind him. But then…

 

_BANG._

Kokichi fell over onto his back, Voice standing on top of him. “Sorry, my lovable Kokichi.” He smiled. “That was a lie.” He grabbed Kokichi’s hand, slowly disappearing.

“W—” Kokichi sat up. “W—what the hell was that for, Voice?!”

 Voice didn’t answer.

 

…

“Kokichi?!” A voice called from above him. “Kokichi, are you down there?”

He made out the voice of Shuichi. “What do you want from me?!” He called back.

Shuichi sounded tired. “Kokichi, there’s something we need to ask you. Please come here.”

“Fine, fine!” He hissed, dashing towards the latter and climbing up. At the top, Maki and Shuichi were standing there.

“Monokuma agreed to helping decipher the computer code… Apparently it would ‘help with the dramatic tension’.” Maki explained. “However, he found an error when we logged in. Right after you did—was that the second Kokichi?”

“As I said,” Kokichi started, “I do not know who the second Kokichi was. Probably my lover.”

Maki rolled her eyes. “Something tells me you do know. You went with him, didn’t you?”

Shuichi looked away. “Well… That doesn’t exactly mean he knew him. In all honesty, Kokichi. Did you know that a second Kokichi would appear?”

Kokichi was thinking. Voice wasn’t there right now.

If he spoke, they would know.

They would get hurt.

…

_They would get hurt._

“Yes, I did know.” Kokichi admitted. “I did know he existed. I just… never would have thought he would come out!”

“I knew it.” Maki hissed. “Continue.”

“I just call him ‘Voice’, but he doesn’t have a name. He showed up in my head and tells me weird things. I thought I was insane.” He paused. “I guess not, though.”

“What ‘weird things’ are you referring to?” Shuichi asked.

Kokichi laughed. “Oh, you know! He wants me dead, he wants people dead—he wants everyone to die, essentially. But not just for the sake of murder. No, for the sake of atoning for past sins.”

Maki narrowed her eyes. “You’re a liar.”

“I’m a victim.”

_No, you’re dead._

Kokichi stiffened. Voice spoke.

_What do you think you’re doing?_

Kokichi blinked. In the blink of an eye, everything changed.

“Did you know that a second Kokichi would appear?” Shuichi asked.

“I did!” Kokichi answered.

He blinked again.

“Did you know that a second Kokichi would appear?” Shuichi asked.

“I—I did, I did know!”

Once more. And again. And again. Every time he spoke of Voice, he went back in time. Voice was not letting him say anything. Nothing at all.

_Give it up, Kokichi. You can’t tell them anything. Not like they’d believe you._

“Did you know that a second Kokichi would appear?”

“…No…” Kokichi mumbled. “I didn’t.”

Shuichi sighed. “Alright, I understand.” He looked up. The Trial announcement played. “Already? We have to go…”

“Oh boy!” Kokichi giggled. “It’s starting!” He bounced, dashing towards the Shrine of Judgement. Even though he ran as fast as he could, Shuichi and Maki both caught up easily.

“Hey—what’s the rush?!” Shuichi gasped.

Kokichi laughed. He kept running with a proud smirk on his face. He reached the Shrine, jumping to a halt. He turned around to face Shuichi, who was panting.

“Why are you running, Kokichi?”

“No reason!” Kokichi grinned. “I’m just super excited!”

 

People began to show up at the Shrine. Not many of them were left, and one of them wouldn’t leave alive. This time, Miu was gone. Next time, another would be. Perhaps two, or three. Or maybe Kokichi would be gone.

“There is nothing more terrifying then innocence.” Kokichi mumbled under his breath. “There is nothing more beautiful, either.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another short chapter before the trial!! we're nearing the point of no return huehuehuehue :^)
> 
> thank you all for your support of this series~! <3


	21. Revelation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the fourth trail mix makes kokichi not kokichi because there were more raisins then m&ms

“…I guess that’s everyone.” Shuichi was looking around. They were all gathered at the Shrine of Judgement for the Class Trial.

“We don’t have to worry about losing!” Himiko chanted. “We have the Ultimate Detective on our side!”

“Yeah. Keep up the good work.” Tsumugi smiled.

“I’ll do my best.” Shuichi nodded. He stiffened, closing his eyes and staring at the ground.

Kaito had walked over to him. “Hey, Shuichi. You’re getting all tense.” He paused. “Didn’t I tell you before not to carry the burden by yourself?”

“Come on, Kaito.” Kokichi shrugged. “Saying that will only make him worse. That’s just annoying, you know?”

“You’re annoying.” Maki gave him the death glare.

“Woah!” Kokichi gasped. “Killer girl’s angry at me! I’m sorry! I was only kidding!” He pleaded, taking a polite bow.

“Kaito, I’m okay.” Shuichi blinked. “I understand what you’re trying to say, but… I’m fine. You do not have to worry.”

“In that case, I’ll believe you.” Kaito nodded with approval. “I won’t say anything else… but if you have any problems, come talk to me!”

“Thank you, Kaito.” Shuichi replied.

In that moment, the shrine began to open to reveal the elevator that would bring them down to the next Class Trial. They all stood in silence as they waited for the elevator to reach the bottom. As it opened, everyone headed to their podiums as usual.

“Hey, Monokuma.” Kokichi began. “Before we start, I have a question. What would happen if we voted and it was a tie?”

Monokuma seemed… pretty out of it. “…Eh. As long as one is the blackened, I don’t care…”

“Ohhh… Okay, thanks….” Kokichi nodded. “Now that you’ve answered that, I can enjoy this game much more.”

“What game?” Kaito shouted. “How long are you gonna keep spouting that crap?!”

Himiko pouted. “Just ignore Kokichi. The rest of us need to work together to find the truth. Got it? We’re not dying here!”

Kokichi laughed. “Well, anyways. I suggest we start off this class trial with the obvious. Kaito was the only one to be logged out at the time of Miu’s death, so let’s start there.” He was truly not in the mood to mess up his reputation any more then he has.

“Are you saying I’m the culprit?!” Kaito gasped.

“That’s correct!” Kokichi boomed. “While we were all logged in, Kaito logged out on his own, yes? You were able to move freely—so wouldn’t that make _you_ the killer?”

“Don’t screw around! There’s no way I’m the culprit!” Kaito retaliated.

“Gonta know Kaito not culprit! There no way Kaito kill Miu!” Gonta exclaimed.

Kokichi sighed, rubbing his eye. “How long will you say that? Trusted people can kill too, you know. We’ve seen that plenty times—since Kaede.” He began to explain. “Kaito was the only one logged out, and Miu was still logged in.”

“Kaito culprit!? Unpossible!” Gonta shouted.

“I find that hard to believe.” Shuichi began. “Looking at Miu’s body, there are no external wounds. If she had been strangled, we would’ve seen some sort of mark left behind, right? I believe that she was killed in the Virtual World.”

“I think strangulation is more likely than blunt force.” Maki noted.

“I agree.” Shuichi nodded. “Miu was reaching for her neck as if she was being strangled by it. The Virtual World is connected to our five senses. If she experienced pain, she would feel it in the opposite world. Knowing that, I believe Maki was right. Miu was strangled to death.”

“But is strangulation even possible in the Virtual World?” Kiibo asked. “If avatars were equally strong, then it would be hard to fight a resisting victim.”

“Yeah.” Kaito nodded. “There’s no way Miu wouldn’t fight back.”

Maki was deep in thought. “There are tons of cases where the weaker would strangle the stronger with a rope.”

“Woah…” Kokichi stared in awe. “You know a lot about killing… Nerd.” He finished with a smirk.

Himiko spoke next. “Was there even a rope in the Virtual World? I don’t remember seeing one…”

“Then they must have used something else as a rope.” Kaito suggested.

“During the investigation, we found toilet paper on the side of the mansion.” Shuichi explained. “I’m guessing the toilet paper was used to strangle her.”

“That make no sense! Toilet paper no can be used as weapon!” Gonta exclaimed.

“The toilet paper couldn’t tear.” Shuichi answered. “This is because objects are unbreakable in the Virtual World!”

“If objects can’t break in that world, then the toilet paper wouldn’t tear…” Kaito mumbled. “Since it couldn’t tear, it could be used as a rope.”

“Oh… Sorry Shuichi. Gonta was wrong.” Gonta looked sad. Almost disappointed at himself.

“It’s alright, Gonta.” Shuichi smiled.

Himiko sighed. “Killed by toilet paper… it was a fitting end for her…”

“A fitting end?” Kiibo echoed. “I fail to see that.”

“If Miu was killed in the Chapel, why was the murder weapon by the Mansion?” Tsumugi asked.

“Probably to destroy the evidence.” Kaito rubbed his head.

Kokichi spoke up. “If toilet paper was the murder weapon, then why was there a random ass hammer next to her?”

“Perhaps it would have been used as a backup weapon?” Kiibo suggested.

Maki broke in. “No. The culprit did not bring the hammer.”

“No?” Kiibo was confused. “Then who other then the culprit would have brought a hammer?”

Shuichi gasped. “That’s right! Miu brought the hammer. Remember what she said? She deleted all dangerous objects from the game. If that were true, she wouldn’t have missed deleting a hammer.” He took a deep breath. “Meaning that Miu left the hammer in on purpose.”

“But… why she do that?” Gonta asked.

Kokichi wasn’t going to speak but spoke anyways. “She was probably going to meet up with someone.”

“What do you mean, Kokichi?” Shuichi asked.

Kokichi hesitated to reply. Voice decided to answer in his place. “Mmhm. Miu wanted to meet up with me on the roof of the mansion.”

“You haven’t mentioned this before.” Kiibo pointed out. “Is this another lie?”

“No! Not at all!” Kokichi gasped. “Miu asked to meet up with me in the Virtual World.”

“So—So Miu decided to call Kokichi out?” Kaito confirmed.

Kokichi bounced. “If Miu brought the hammer, I wonder what she was going to do with it?”

“She was going to kill Kokichi.” Shuichi answered as if he was reading passages from a book.

“Mhm.” Kokichi nodded. “She plotted to meet with me and kill me with that hammer. If you wanna prove this, try and figure out Miu’s plan, okay?”

“Miu wanted it to look like Kokichi was killed in the real world.” Shuichi decided. “If she were to use that hammer and attack, Kokichi would be dead in his chair as if he was attacked there. Our senses are connected, yes? Therefore if Kokichi was killed in game, he would die in real life as well. If there had been no weapons in game, we wouldn’t have known Kokichi died in there.”

“So Miu…” Kokichi hesitated. “Tried to pin the blame on Kaito by making him log out early. How intriguing!”

“T-that’s not my fault!” Kaito shook.

“That’s why she manually logged you out. For that purpose.” Kokichi shrugged.

“So she did that to me?” Kaito asked.

Shuichi agreed. “I’m positive of that. Miu used a method only she could use to log out Kaito. It was the cell phone found by Miu’s avatar.”

Kokichi hadn’t known of a cell phone, but somehow he had heard of it. He wasn’t there to witness it, but for some reason he already knew about it.

“That cell phone worked the same way as the one in the salon. Say the name and you’ll be logged out. But with this one, if you say somebody else’s name, they will be logged out. I verified this myself.”

“With that cell phone, she could log anyone out without us knowing.” Kiibo whispered.

“Miu never mentioned a cell phone though, correct?” Maki questioned.

“That’s what Shuichi meant when he said a method only she could use.” Kokichi nodded. “She kept a secret on purpose so that her murder would stay a secret.”

“So she really was planning a murder… and tried to blame it on me!” Kaito exclaimed.

Kokichi laughed. “Well, I knew that from the start!” He didn’t actually know this either. He just… had the idea. He had all of the ideas. Everything. He knew things he shouldn’t know, but…

“Then why’d you say I was the culprit?!” Kaito shouted.

“Because I wanted you to know that people you trust could betray you.” Kokichi’s eyes narrowed with a slight smile on his face. “Thus begins the game of suspicion.” He straightened back. “Well, I think your ideals should remain. It’s the phonies like you that make this more interesting for _me._ ” He turned his head away.

“..!” Himiko gasped. “She… she was so persistent in making us join so that she could kill Kokichi!”

Tsumugi sighed. “I was sad she was gone, but now I don’t know what to think.”

_Liar. Damn liar. Can’t she shut up and learn her place?_

‘Sure, Voice. If you shut up maybe she’ll take the hint.’

_I’ll shut you up instead, bastard._

Kokichi froze. “Backstabbed by a trusted friend! This is what makes the killing game more interesting! Now we can get started on the class trial!”

“Hey…” Gonta sounded angry. “Kokichi sound like Monokuma…”

“Huh? Really? I don’t think so.”

“No. You’re just like Monokuma.” Kaito argued. “You’re both cowards and never speak the truth.”

“Coward?” Kokichi echoed. “That’s pretty funny, Kaito.”

“Smiling. Putting on a mask. You never say what you really think, do you, Kokichi?” Kaito challenged. “That’s just like Monokuma!”

“…”

“Listen up Kokichi!” Kaito shouted. “I’ll never put up with this ‘game of suspicion’ crap! I’m just gonna believe in everyone! Instead of suspecting my friends, I’m going to help find the truth by believing in them!”

…

…

“… _Believing in them? That’s awfully funny. If you really think you’ll win the game like that, then be my guest._ ” Kokichi’s tone of voice was far more different. “ _And by the way—_ I never met up with Miu.”

“Huh? You didn’t?” Gonta echoed.

“I dunno, it was locked. I couldn’t get up.” Kokichi shrugged.

“Isn’t lock picking your specialty?” Himiko asked.

Kokichi looked somewhat offended. “How am I supposed to pick locks with that stupid avatar’s body? I didn’t have tools, either.”

“I was on the roof before logging out. It was not locked then.” Maki said.

“Huuuh?! How am I supposed to know when it was unlocked?!” Kokichi pouted.

“When I went to the roof it wasn’t locked. You gotta be lying again.” Kaito hissed.

Kokichi had a straight face. “What good would it be if I lied? I don’t wanna die either, you know.”

“Lying would do you a lot of good if you were the culprit…” Himiko pointed out.

“…”

“…”

“Oh! I see, I see!” Kokichi nodded in approval.

Shuichi interrupted. “Before we get off topic, we must discuss the truth behind Miu’s death. Kokichi claims it was Miu who chose the meeting place. But I’m wondering how she would have gotten to the mansion’s roof from the Chapel.”

“That’s right…” Tsumugi nodded. “She destroyed the only bridge across.”

“If that’s the case then Miu might have never gone to the roof.” Kaito sighed.

“No, Miu must have gone to the mansion. Tsumugi saw her walking outside the window.” Shuichi explained.

“Then… how did she get from the mansion to the Chapel?” Kiibo asked.

Kaito theorized. “It must have been another secret method she knew. Just like with that cell phone, you know?”

“No doubt about it.” Shuichi agreed. “That’s why she got rid of the bridge.”

Kokichi laughed. “She dropped the bridge and made a huge scene so that everyone knew the bridge wasn’t there!”

“So… what secret method did she use?” Maki asked.

“A vehicle?” Gonta suggested.

“Teleportation!” Himiko called out.

“What if there was a hidden route only Miu could use?” Kiibo asked.

“That’s it!” Shuichi exclaimed with a smile. “There was a hidden route only Miu could use. She modified the program to add a special wall, right?”

“But we know for a fact that the wall only allowed objects to pass through. Miu isn’t an object.” Kaito objected.

“No, we do!” Shuichi pressed. “Her avatar settings were changed. We saw that ourselves when we checked the log.”

“Oh. Yeah, that’s right. Sorry about that, Shuichi.” Kaito apologized.

“So… if Miu modified her avatar so that she could go through the wall she added… Then her secret route was through the wall.” Tsumugi concluded.

“Miu had to go through that wall for a reason.” Shuichi continued. “We’re not sure why yet, but we’ll eventually find out once we solve the mystery of the Virtual World. There have been a lot of strange occurrences.”

“The loud noise!” Shuichi gasped.

“We all heard it?” Kiibo looked around.

“Yes, in the mansion’s kitchen…” Tsumugi said.

“But that sound originated from near the Chapel. How did you guys hear it from the mansion?” Kiibo asked.

“Sound can’t go through the loading point. Did that sound really come from the Chapel, then?” Kokichi smirked.

“That sound was something hitting the Chapel wall. It was really loud.” Himiko spoke.

“Wait.” Shuichi interrupted. “There is… another thing we haven’t brought up yet. The signboard—we found it by the rocks, right? But that doesn’t make sense, meaning it went up against the current. We all saw it. It should have gone by the far side of the chapel and stopped there.”

“Miu was on the chapel side, right? That means she could have grabbed the signboard, used it as a bridge, then put it against the rocks.” Kaito suggested.

“Why would she leave it where it could be swept away?” Kiibo asked.

“Aren’t we getting off topic?” Kokichi sounded irritated. “We need to connect How and What. We’re so close to the truth. All the mysterious things have to connect somehow…”

“A wall that only objects pass through… a sound that shouldn’t be heard… How are they all connected?” Maki asked.

“Well, Shuichi should know.” Kokichi sneered. “If not, we’re all gonna die here. Which, I must say, is what it must always come down to…”

“The unnatural way the sign was carried to the boulders may have something to do with the wall.” Shuichi explained. “The sign should have stopped at the other end of the chapel, but if that wall is the one that Miu set to allow objects through…”

“Then the board could have passed through the wall. But that doesn’t explain how it ended up by the mansion.” Maki said.

“…” Shuichi was quiet in thought.

Kokichi bounced. “Leave it to me! This is the Virtual World, so we must throw away all amounts of our common sense, okay?”

“The hell does that even mean?” Kaito asked.

“What if both ends of the river were connected?” Shuichi theorized. “It’s all part of one big loop!”

Kaito shook his head. “Both sides of the river can’t—”

“Again, throw out all common sense. This is the Virtual World we’re talking about.” Kokichi rolled his eyes.

“Then what about the wall? There was only one that could be passed through.” Maki pointed out.

“…That’s why Miu set up one wall!” Shuichi gasped. “The walls by the chapel and the mansion aren’t separate! They’re the same wall! It’s not just the river, the walls themselves are connected. Don’t think of it as two separate walls, but a single wall mounted on the Y-axis.”

“See? Didn’t I tell you everything was connected?” Kokichi laughed.

“Damnit Kokichi, just tell—” Kaito was cut off.

“Shh! This is the final stretch! If both the wall and the river are connected, then…?” He waited for an answer.

“That’s it! The Virtual World is a loop!” Shuichi declared. “The edges of the Virtual World are connected in a continuous loop.”

“Isn’t that a bit much for a program?” Kaito stuttered.

“We still don’t know why we heard Kiibo’s voice, though.” Tsumugi indicated.

“Actually, if we know the world is a loop we can quite easily explain that as well. If we heard a noise from the chapel inside of the mansion, then the map loading point was where the Virtual World looped.” Shuichi gasped at his own discovery, he closed his eyes as if to go through several lines of information before opening them and nodding.

“So her wall was not at the edges of the world, but at the center!” Maki confirmed.

“Yeah! That’s how the Virtual World works!” Shuichi was relieved.

Kokichi broke into a fit of laughter. “Wow! Impressive! Really! For you to get this far, oh boy is this great!”

“For you to get this far? What are you, a villain pullin’ the strings?” Kaito grunted.

“Nope!” Kokichi shook his head. “Miu pulled the strings, not me. Miu set this trap. She made the map that caused us all to think that the mansion and chapel were far away from each other. So ever since we were shown the map, we were caught in that trap.” He quickly calmed down. “Now, we have to find the culprit. Even if we know the tricks, its meaningless if we can’t find the perpetrator. Neeheehee! I can’t wait to see what happens next…”

“We understand Miu plotted the murder, but who actually killed her?” Maki was thinking out loud.

The group quickly recapped everything they knew. Miu was going to call Kokichi to the roof and kill him with a hammer before making it seem like he was killed in the real-world using poison. She would blame the murder on Kaito, who was forcefully logged out.

“The culprit probably killed her on the locked roof.” Kokichi shrugged.

“Did the culprit lock the door to the roof?” Kaito asked.

“I don’t think Miu did it.” Shuichi stated. “If she did, she would have locked it when she called Kokichi to the roof.”

As the trial continued, Shuichi explained how Miu’s avatar was killed and then slid off the roof. She crashed into the chapel, and that is what caused the loud noise. She slid off of the roof using the lattice by the chapel. Kokichi mentioned that the brick handrail would help them stop from falling off the high roof.

“The five suspects after ruling out the people at the chapel are Tsumugi, Gonta, Kaito, and Shuichi.” Kokichi decided.

“Hey, you little shit! Way to leave yourself off the list!” Kaito shouted.

“Aww, you got me!” Kokichi pouted.

“Kokichi, there’s something I need to know.” Shuichi began. “Why did you lie just now?”

“Which one, Shuichi? I lie a lot, so I’ll need a bit of a reminder.” Kokichi giggled.

“Fine, then. During your testimony, you specifically stated you had never gone to the roof… Yet later on, you mentioned a brick handrail. Not to mention a lot of specific information you wouldn’t know if you hadn’t gone up.” Shuichi concluded.

“You could easily see the steep slope, but you wouldn’t know about the brick handrail unless you went up there yourself.” Maki judged.

“…Huh?” Kokichi mumbled. “W-what?”

“What’s this all about Kokichi? Did you really go to the rooftop?!” Tsumugi threatened.

“I—I didn’t, I—” Kokichi began to break through his own mind. He had gone to the roof with Voice when… “I—I already told you before!” He hesitated. “WAIT! That’s why! Himiko mentioned a brick handrail before!”

“Himiko said that?” Gonta asked.

“No, she didn’t!” Kaito exclaimed.

“Yes she did~” Kokichi pouted.

“She did not!”

“She did too!”

“Then when?! Tell me how long ago! Hours, minutes, and seconds!” Kaito shouted.

“I’m not gonna change my mind, because Himiko said it!” He lied with a smile.

“You’re so damn stubborn!” Kaito hissed.

“I was in the salon the whole time after I checked the roof!” Kokichi testified. “I was checking for the secret of the outsi—”

“Kokichi. You’re lying right now, aren’t you?” Shuichi cut in.

“What? Lying about what?” Kokichi asked.

“Just before the murder occurred, I went to the salon to check on you.” Shuichi explained. “You weren’t there. I waited for a while, but you never showed up.”

Kokichi stared blankly for a moment before showing a rather malicious smile. “So you understand tactics too, Shuichi? Who do you guys believe more? Me, or Shuichi?”

“Shuichi!” Kaito hissed.

“The one who isn’t Kokichi.” Maki shrugged.

“Shuichi, 100%!” Kiibo announced.

“Umm.. In order to go to the salon, Shuichi would need to pass by me… I didn’t see that happen.” Tsumugi intervened nervously. “Oh well. I’ll believe Shuichi anyway.”

“Sorry, but… Gonta believe Shuichi too.”

Kokichi frowned. “Ah… I see… I wanted at least _someone_ to believe me…”

“What goes around comes around, you liar!” Kaito smiled triumphantly.

“…” Kokichi was quiet. “…Why do you guys hate lies so much? There’s only one truth, but there’s an infinite possibility for a lie. Some of them are good, but if you deny everything because it’s a lie… Then…” His tone of voice dropped even worse. His eyes were almost dark, but only extremely dull in color. His skin had gone pale. “That means you guys are terrible at being lied to!”

“…Just spit it out, already! You went to the roof, right?!” Kaito demanded. “That’s where you met up with Miu!”

“He didn’t just go there, he went there and kill—”

Himiko was cut off by a laughter.

It was a cold, almost dying laughter.

It was the laughter that would best suit someone who wasn’t human.

It was the laughter that would eventually rule the world.

It was Voice’s.

Kokichi’s face was hidden in his hands, a large smile just barely visible underneath. His laughter filled the entire room, even causing Monokuma’s never-ending laughter to fade into nothing. When he raised his face out of his hands, his eyes were shown to glow a faint neon purple. It was clear this was no longer Kokichi.

“ _Okay, fine! I’ll tell you if you wanna know so damn badly. I’ll take away all of your precious mystery solving fun… All because you had the lovely idea to lie to me!_ ”

“…Oh?” Shuichi was staring at Kokichi with a look of concern that was clouded over by intimidation.

“ _I’ll confess EVERYTHING! Listen carefully, ladies and gentlemen! I hate repeating myself…”_

Kokichi’s podium moved to the center. “ _I came up with a plan after Miu asked me to meet with her. I pretended to cooperate and lured everyone into the Virtual World.  That’s why I cooperated with Monokuma.”_

“You WHAT?!” Kaito shouted.

“Oh. I guess the jig is up.” Monokuma spoke. “Yeah, what he said was true! He came to me with such a good idea, I decided to add a motive into the simulator!”

“You added a motive..?” Shuichi echoed. “The secret of the outside world is the motive, right?!”

“No fair! Monokuma no take sides!” Gonta said angrily.

“I didn’t help with anything, and I had nothing to do with the murder.” Monokuma pointed out. “He suggested a way to spice things up, so I accepted! Technically, that doesn’t violate the rules!”

“Bullshit!” Kaito hissed. “You worked together, that’s clear as day!”

“ _Shh, calm down_.” Kokichi soothed. “ _I’ll explain my relationship with Monokuma—just let me finish my confession._ ”

“I’m fine with that, but you’re confessing without much of a fight.” Maki sounded much more suspicious.

”I _told you, I’m gonna stop all of the mystery solving fun! If I can’t win, I’ll make it boring for everyone!”_

He paused, reaping a moment of silence from the crowd.

“ _Well then… the culprit is Gonta_.”

“Huh?” Gonta was clearly shocked. “WAIT! When did Gonta kill Miu?!”

“That’s a lie!” Tsumugi exclaimed. “He didn’t kill her! Kokichi’s just lying!”

“You’re gonna pin the blame on Gonta? Do you really expect us to believe such an obvious lie?!” Kaito was pissed.

Himiko began. “Yeah, there’s no way Gonta could commit murder! He’s not smar—”

“ _The truth is, Gonta and I worked together. We formed a duo to end this killing game… As the Killing Game Busters!”_

“W-what busters?!” Gonta shouted.

“ _We must win this killing game in order to end this killing game! By the way, I came up with the murder plan. Gonta just carried it out. Meaning I am not the blackened._ ” Kokichi took a polite bow.

“Gonta what?!” Gonta’s voice was filled with surprise and confusion. “Gonta have no idea what he’s talking about!”

“ _C’mon! Quit lying and tell the truth!”_ Kokichi pushed.

Tsumugi replied. “Gonta is telling the truth! He’s not someone who lies all the time like you!”

“No matter how naïve Gonta may be, he would probably never team up with Kokichi of all people.” Kiibo shrugged.

“Yeah… Not after Insect Meet and Greet.” Gonta agreed.

Kaito rolled his eyes. “It’s obvious what he’s trying to—”

“That’s not Kokichi.” Shuichi spoke.

“ _…What did you say?_ ”

“We haven’t brought it up yet, surprisingly.” Shuichi continued. “Remember, there was a second Kokichi in the Virtual World? Is this him?”

“Don’t try to stand up for the lunatic, Shuichi!” Kaito hissed.

“No—No, that’s not it!” Shuichi pleaded. “Hear me out.” He took a deep breath. “After Kokichi logged in and the second one did afterwards, he took Kokichi to the roof. There, I’ve been told that he brutally… stabbed Kokichi… to test out the way pain works. I fear that the second Kokichi is the true mastermind behind this murder. Not Kokichi. The person we’re talking to… does not act like the Kokichi I’ve come to know.”

…

…

“ _Nice story, detective.”_ ‘Kokichi’ spoke. “ _I mean, you’re not wrong. I’m honestly surprised. He made a good choice in you…_ _What he says is true. Kokichi Oma, the Ultimate Supreme Leader, is innocent. Me, on the other hand… Well… Let’s just say, I couldn’t let my prey be taken away.”_ He looked down at his hands, covering his eyes with them.

“As I stated previously—Kokichi could not have commit the murder. There were too many things he was gone for. Kokichi did not speak to any of you, right?” Shuichi paused, seeing no replies. “Right. So then Kokichi, who was passed out from this Kokichi’s knife—where did a knife come from?” He cut himself off. “Miu got rid of all but the hammer—why was there a knife?!”

‘Kokichi’ laughed. “ _Idiot. I got my own knife, of course.”_

“You got your own knife? That’s im—”

“ _By that logic, my existence is impossible. But here I am._ ” He spun around with a cheerful smile. “ _The person I manipulated into doing my bidding is none other then Gonta Gokuhara! There is nothing that disproves this!”_

“We—we can talk about _you_ later.” Shuichi decided. “We can’t rule out the fact that Gonta is the culprit just yet.”

“You’re wrong! He would never do such a thing!” Kaito objected.

“Have we come to a split decision?” Monokuma giggled, pulling out a key. “I am proud to present the morphenomenal trial grounds!” He turned the key, causing the podiums to move.

As the sides were set, Kaito began his argument. “You mean to say that Gonta would kill Miu?!”

“I can’t say for sure he’s the culprit, but we can’t rule it out yet!” Shuichi replied.

“Gonta is a sweetheart. He wouldn’t hurt a fly!” Tsumugi said.

“ _Sweethearts can commit crimes too, you know._ ” ‘Kokichi’ smirked.

“Could Gonta have even made it to the rooftop without being noticed?” Maki asked.

Kiibo spoke. “The entrance hall is all that separates the rooftop from the mansion exterior.”

“There would’ve been witnesses at the entrance hall!” Kaito hissed.

“No, none of us were in charge of the entrance hall.” Shuichi stated.

“Kokichi confessed he was working with Monokuma!” Kaito glared at Kokichi, who was smiling.

“ _That was a temporary basis._ ” Kokichi defined.

“This is all a lie!” Himiko pouted. “Kokichi killed Miu!”

“Special settings on Kokichi’s avatar made such impossible.” Kiibo informed.

“Gonta no kill Miu! Honest!”

“It’s possible Gonta killed Miu!” Shuichi finished.

The trial grounds began to shift back.

“All I am trying to say is that we can’t just rule anyone out yet until we have proof.” Shuichi sighed. “I’m not taking sides. I just want to find the truth. If we’re going to survive, I **have to find the truth**!”

Gonta was shaking. “But… Gonta telling truth! Gonta… really not culprit…”

Shuichi was deep in thought. He suddenly took a sharp breath. “Did Gonta get into an accident in the Virtual World?” He asked. “There was an avatar error when the game booted up, remember? We read that in the logs.”

“You mean to say that error was not the second Kokichi?” Maki asked.

“That’s right.” Shuichi nodded. “I believe it’s possible Gonta doesn’t remember what happened in the Virtual World.”

“He doesn’t… remember?” Kaito spoke.

“He started saying ‘I don’t know’ and ‘I don’t remember’ after leaving the Virtual World. I think that’s some kind of memory error.” Shuichi explained.

“ _So that’s why he doesn’t remember anything… Not even killing Miu._ ” ‘Kokichi’ smiled.

“That’s ridiculous!” Kaito shouted. “He doesn’t remember?! He’s just confused!”

“No…” Shuichi shook his head. “The cause of the error… was the two cords needed to log into the Virtual World. I think Gonta messed up something with the cords.”

 _“If you mixed up consciousness and memory, you’d lose memory. Like… an error that won’t let you bring an avatar’s memories to the real world.”_ ‘Kokichi’ giggled.

“Gonta, is it possible you mixed up the cords?” Kiibo asked politely.

“Huh? How Gonta supposed to remember that?!” Gonta asked.

“It’s not true! Right is the hand you use your chopsticks with.” Himiko said.

Gonta held up his left hand. “But… Gonta use chopsticks with this hand.”

“W-what?!” Himiko gasped.

“ _I guess that’s decided!”_ He smirked. His faintly glowing eyes began to fade.

“What’s… decided?” Tsumugi was shocked. “You remember the Virtual World, right, Gonta? He’s wrong, right?”

“G-Gonta… Gonta not remember…” Gonta admitted. “Gonta not go to the ‘Ver…Chew…Ul… World place!”

“What?” Tsumugi whispered.

“Gonta fall asleep when he put helmet on.” He explained. “When Gonta wake up, Miu dead… Gonta not know what happened. So Gonta worry! Gonta not understand what everyone talking about.”

“ _That’s enough, Gonta… We already know…”_ ‘Kokichi’ sounded rather simplistic as he spoke. “ _We know that you forgot about teaming up with me and killing Miu. It’s alright, we understand._ ”

“Gonta not kill Miu!” Gonta pleaded. “Why would Gonta do that?!”

“ _I already gave you my testimony with the murder plan._ ” ‘Kokichi’ shrugged. “ _Don’t know what else to tell you_.”

Shuichi sighed, beginning to explain the entire plan. The second Kokichi knocked out Kokichi and hid him in the map. As he was passed out, he began to plot with Miu about meeting on the roof. Before this, the second Kokichi met with Gonta to begin the murder plan… and Miu was killed…

 

And they voted.

 

And Gonta was really the culprit.

 

“Gonta’s memories didn’t transfer over—so they’re still in the Virtual World as data. I’ll put some of that memory data on here…” Monokuma instantly began typing. “Ta-da! Here is Alter Ego Gonta! Basically, it’s Gonta with the memories from the Virtual World.”

“Huh? What this?” Alter Ego spoke. “Is that… Gonta?”

“What did you do, Monokuma?” Himiko asked.

“Relax, Himiko. It’s just a simulation.” Monokuma shrugged.

“Gonta not understand… Who is Alter Ego person?” Alter Ego asked.

“Other Gonta…” Gonta spoke. “Why did you kill Miu?!”

“Wha?! How does other Gonta know?!” Alter Ego gasped.

“ _Sadly, our plan failed. You can tell them the truth now._ ” ‘Kokichi’ shrugged.

“…Oh. Gonta no could save everyone?” Alter Ego looked sad. “Gonta… just want to save everyone.”

“What do you mean?” Shuichi asked.

“Gonta think for long time… How can Gonta help everyone? Not smart enough, no can fight Exisals…” Alter Ego went on. “So that’s why… Gonta do _it_ , for everyone’s sake. Gonta kill Miu.”

“ _Bad explanation._ ” Kokichi muttered. _“Remember that card key? I found what it was for. I found the door… and saw the outside world. That was when I got the idea to save everyone. If I livened up the killing game, then he would let me use the outside world as a motive again.”_

“The motive key card that Kokichi nabbed was the view to the outside world. Even thought he saw it, I was disappointed with what he did. When he told me he had an idea to bring back the outside world again, I decided it would be good. So I added a Flashback Light in the Virtual World.” Monokuma explained.

“ _The secret of the outside world is part of your forgotten memories._ ” ‘Kokichi’ nodded. “ _Monokuma hid the Flashback Light, but I knew where it was hidden. And I showed it to Gonta in the Virtual World.”_

“I didn’t hide it.” Monokuma defended. “I just placed it. If you asked, I would’ve said where it was.”

“Gonta… no understand outside world.” Alter Ego spoke again.

“ _It’s… hell out there.”_ ‘Kokichi’ sighed.

“What do you mean?! Gonta, what did we… forget?!” Shuichi begged.

“…Sorry! Gonta no can tell you…” Alter Ego admitted. “If Gonta tell you, then everyone… despair…”

Kokichi was slowly breaking out of Voice’s frontal conscience. “I understand that…” He spoke quietly. “The despair that makes you want to die… to put everyone out of their misery… I get it…” He bit his tongue. “Now you get it, right?”

“Yeah… Gonta get it.” Alter Ego smiled. Gonta smiled. They both were smiling.

Monokuma laughed. “Oh well! Time’s up! It’s time for your punishment!”

As Gonta and Alter Ego were dragged away, Kokichi… Kokichi and Voice couldn’t bare to watch the execution. They’d seen it already, and seeing it again…

 

Seeing it again would make everything feel worse.

 

* * *

 

 

It was dead quiet in the Trialroom. Silent tears were wept around Kokichi, but he was somehow staring in silence.

“…Who are you?” Kokichi heard coming from Shuichi. He was speaking loud and clear. “You aren’t Kokichi. Who are you? How could you do this to Gonta?”

‘Kokichi’ smiled. “ _Me? Well…”_ His skin began to turn pure white. In an instant, Kokichi fell down, landing on his hands and knees. He was staring at the floor in pure shock. Tears began to form in his weary eyes. “I… don’t know… I don’t know, I don’t know…”

Shuichi walked over, kneeling next to Kokichi. “Gonta… wouldn’t want the real Kokichi to be like this, right? He wants us all to live. He wants us all to survive. So we must…” He smiled, but it was a smile covered in raw sadness.

Kokichi nodded, standing up. He looked over at Kaito, who was making strange grunting noises.

“…You don’t look well!” Maki rushed over.

“I’m fine.” Kaito tried to stand up from where he was, but as he did, he fell back. He was coughing. He was coughing up blood.

“Blood?! Kaito, what’s wrong?!” Maki gasped.

“D-don’t worry too much…” Kaito gritted his teeth. “I just… my cold got worse… and… I’m telling you not to worry… I just… coughed too much and cut my throat… or something…” Somehow, he stood up. “Yeah… I just need… a drink of water.” He decided. “I’m heading back to my room…”

“Kaito, let me come—” Shuichi started.

“Let me go alone!” Kaito exclaimed, walking out of the Trialroom.

Tsumugi, Kiibo, Himiko, Kokichi, and Shuichi watched in silence as Kaito left, followed quickly by Maki. Kokichi went up to Shuichi and walked to the elevator with him.

“He’ll die from that, won’t he?” Kokichi asked.

Shuichi remained silent, staring on. “…I don’t know…” He admitted. “I’m worried, but…” He glanced at Kokichi. “I’m a bit more worried about… something else… and I think I care more about that too.”

The two entered the elevator, quiet as ever.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Voice was standing in the middle of the field. “ _It’s almost time… Yeah, almost time. Should be just enough. I’ll end it all.”_ He stopped, laughing to himself. “ _Now is the time…”_ He finished writing on the rocks.

 

_This world is mine, Kokichi Oma._

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> qawsedrftgyhujikolp;;  
> here's chapter 21... and stuff happened...  
> lots of stuff happened...
> 
> anyways, I found a song that describes kokichi / voice! it's a Hatsune miku song called "black board" tell me if you think so too after watching it ;o
> 
> thank you all for your support! (๑´╹‸╹`๑)


	22. Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kokichi chills

Kokichi opened his eyes to the morning announcement yet again. Rolling onto his back, he reached over to turn on the lamp on the desk. It was morning, yet it was pitch black. There were no windows. By turning on the lamp he had forgotten to brace himself for the sudden rush of light. He winced at the pain that seared through his head.

_Good morning, sleepyhead! How is your suicide going?_

“I’m not going to kill myself, Voice.” Kokichi yawned. “It’s no use. You said so yourself.”

_Wha?! But you’re acting like it’s already happened! Your death, I mean. You’re acting… kind of sad. What’s wrong? Did you see anything you didn’t like? Was there anything suspicious going on?_

“You make it sound like you’ve done something. Tell me, Voice. What did you do now?” Kokichi asked.

_I did nothing! Nothing at all! I’m… a little hurt you thought I did something. Have I ever been a bad person?!_

“…Yes, all the time.” Kokichi fixed his shoes. He was used to talking to Voice now. It was just like talking to… a good friend. Voice was his friend. Why was he his friend if he was always so cruel to him?

_Boo, you’re boring. I’m gonna go bother your fr—_

“Stop.” Kokichi ordered.

_…No! You’re boring._

“What is it you want now?!” Kokichi groaned in annoyance. “I can’t take your stupid meddling any longer.”

_For you to die! There’s a knife in the dining hall you are able to use!_

“No.”

_Let’s plan something! Come on, come on!_

“Shut up, already…”

Kokichi walked over to the door, opening it with slight boredom. Nothing was going to happen anymore, he believed. There wasn’t any student who wanted to murder another. Even Maki was under the pure of hearts despite her talent. But… Kaito could die. He was sick. _Really_ sick. Even so, he had to move on. He couldn’t let Voice’s influences hurt him any more than they had.

Cracking open the door, he noticed a group of people leaving the dorms. He dashed up to them. Everyone was there. They were leaving without him.

_Hahaha! They really don’t care enough to wait for you, huh?_

Shuichi glanced over his shoulder to see Kokichi. He looked sad, but also somewhat relieved. “Hey!” He smiled. “Good morning, Kokichi.”

“…Morning…” Kokichi mumbled.

As they walked, Shuichi was asking him various questions. “Did you talk to the second Kokichi again?”

“…Yeah, I guess so.”

“Was he trying to hurt you?”

“He always is.”

“Does he ever succeed?”

Kokichi halted. He looked at Shuichi and shrugged the question off. “Always.” He stated, continuing to walk. “I’ve gotten used to that, though. I don’t know where he came from and he won’t go away. If I don’t adapt I’ll get myself hurt.”

Shuichi frowned. “That’s not a healthy way to live.”

“No, but it’s the only way I can.”

The group had walked past Kokichi’s lab, and he turned to face it. “I’m going.” He said, walking towards the tunnel.

“Huh?” Tsumugi looked at Kokichi. “You’re not going to eat?”

“I’m not hungry.” Kokichi opened the cover and climbed down. “Have a nice meal.”

At the bottom of the ladder, Kokichi jumped the rest of the way. He took a deep breath, inhaling the coarse air. He could feel the palpable moisture around him. Every step he took down the tunnel could be heard echoing throughout the halls. As he reached the lab, he couldn’t help but feel relaxed. He liked it in there.

Feeling rather drowsy, Kokichi headed to the throne and sat down. Without realizing it, he had closed his eyes and drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

If only it was that easy.

Kokichi woke up yet again in his own mind, seeing Voice playing something on a cell phone. He didn’t know where Voice could have gotten a cell phone, but it was there. He held up a peace sign at Kokichi, who went over and sat next to him on a couch.

“Hey.” Voice said. “You dead yet?”

“…No?” Kokichi narrowed his eyes. “Why would I be dead?”

“I dunno. Thought that one of the others would kill you, you know?”

Kokichi sighed. “Is Voice your actual name?” He asked.

“Nah.” Voice shrugged. “I have a name, but I don’t need it, so I won’t tell you what it is.” He paused his game, smiling at Kokichi with honesty showing in his eyes.

“You’ve stated you want me to atone for my sins.” Kokichi started. “Why is that?”

Voice’s laughter swarmed the area. It sounded like it was coming from everywhere at once. “That’s a silly question.” He looked back at his phone. “It’s a long story, though. I’m sure I’ll tell you eventually.”

The two sat there in silence for several moments.

“Hey.” Voice prodded Kokichi with his finger. “Wake up. Someone’s here.”

Kokichi blinked. He blinked again. The third time he blinked, he woke up. As his eyes adjusted to the light, he could see a small figure entering his lab. It was Shuichi, as usual.

“Ah. Hey, Kokichi.” Shuichi greeted.

Kokichi yawned. “Oh… It’s you again…” He rubbed his eyes. “What do you want?”

Shuichi shivered. “It’s freezing down here!” He gasped. “Were you sleeping in here, too? That’s… not healthy.”

“You seem to be saying that a lot lately.” Kokichi leaned his head onto the hand that rested on the arm of the throne. “Just get to the point.”

“I just wanted to make sure you were okay. You seemed… out of it.” Shuichi frowned. “Talk to me.”

Kokichi grunted. “Yeah, yeah. Whatever. It doesn’t matter to you, does it?”

Shuichi’s eyes widened. “No, it does!” He replied. “Of course it does. Don’t… don’t say that, Kokichi.” He cleared the distance between the two of them. Seeing that the throne is big enough for two people, he sat down next to Kokichi. It was then that Kokichi noticed a book he was holding.

“What’s that?” He asked.

“Oh, this?” Shuichi looked at the book. “It’s just a bunch of records I’d found in my lab—”

“You have a lab?” Kokichi suddenly looked excited.

“Ah… Yes, it was unlocked a few days ago.” Shuichi explained. “Would you like to see it?”

“WOULD I LIKE TO SEE IT YES I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT.” Kokichi grabbed Shuichi’s wrist and dashed out of the lab. Shuichi noticed that his pull was not very strong. Whether or not this was on purpose he did not know.

“A-alright, then.” Shuichi allowed Kokichi to hold his wrist as they walked out of the tunnel and up the steps to his own lab. As they walked towards the door, he looked at Kokichi and smiled. “Do you like solving mysteries as well?”

Kokichi blinked. “Yeah, I guess so.”

Shuichi nodded, opening the door. The lab was decorated in warm colors. There was a lit fireplace with a chair sitting by it with a tea set. Shuichi headed over to a small couch and sat down, setting his book on the coffee table. Kokichi went over to sit next to him.

“So what’s the book about?” He asked.

“As I said, it’s a collection of records. The current one is about a murderer who set up their husband’s death to occur after she killed herself. The only reason she was claimed the murderer is because the note she left behind said things that would later happen in his death. It’s… a sad case.” Shuichi sighed.

“Keep going.” Kokichi closed his eyes.

“Alright…” Shuichi continued to read. “On the night of Thursday, April 6th, just days after the death of Hikari Tsunoda, Naoki Tsunoda had gone into the pantry to drink the wine that he and his wife had enjoyed every Thursday as per tradition. He poured himself a glass and settled on the couch with the news on in the background. As he was drinking the wine…”

“No… don’t drink the wine!” Kokichi mumbled in protest as he listened. “It’s gonna kill you! Don’t do it…”

Shuichi chuckled. “As he was drinking the wine, he suddenly dropped the glass. He was pronounced dead days later after neighbors reported his absence. Police officials then read the note that Hikari had left behind. ‘Please remember to drink the wine as we always do in my memory.’ The note had read. This clue is what allowed the police to know who killed Naoki. The poison that she had used…” Shuichi stopped reading as he felt a bump on his shoulder.

Kokichi had fallen asleep leaning on Shuichi. He hadn’t noticed it before, but Kokichi’s face looked… tired. Much more tired then usual, at least. He shook his head, turning back to the book and continuing to read it.

For the first time in a bit, Kokichi didn’t see Voice. It was refreshing. It was as if he had never gotten sleep before.

A knock on the door didn’t wake him up, but Shuichi called saying that the door was unlocked. Kaito walked in, seeming surprised that Kokichi was here.

“Oh. Am I interrupting something?” He asked plainly.

“No, you’re fine. He just fell asleep.” Shuichi gazed at the sleeping Kokichi. “What’s the problem?”

Kaito sighed, taking a seat in the chair near the couch. “We found something.” He spoke. “The rocks that Gonta had always passed. There was more added.”

“Oh? What does it say?” Shuichi asked.

“…” Kaito hesitated, looking at Kokichi. “This World is Mine, Kokichi Oma.” He shook his head. “I guess he’s gone insane at last.”

Shuichi looked concerned. “Are we sure Kokichi wrote it? Of course, it may be that, but… Judging by the words, it could be someone else telling Kokichi that ‘this world’ isn’t his.”

“I guess.” Kaito shrugged. “I mean, the little shit’s doppelganger could have done it.”

“I think there was an error in the Virtual World regarding that.” Shuichi explained. “They don’t seem to be separate people. I think that when he logged in, the two consciences caused two separate avatars to appear.”

“I guess that makes sense.” Kaito sighed. “But that doesn’t account for his normal self, you know? He’s still a naïve and ignorant person.”

Shuichi didn’t reply. He closed his book, setting on the table and sighing. He turned his head from Kaito to Kokichi. But Kokichi’s eyes were open.

“Oh. You’re awake.” Kaito grunted.

Kokichi blinked, looking at Shuichi and taking a small breath. “Nah, I’m not.” He said, closing his eyes again. “Keep talking. It helps me sleep.”

Kaito looked annoyed. “Yeah, well… I’m gonna go see what everyone else is doing.” He stood up and walked towards the door, opening it, and closing it behind him.

Shuichi looked at Kokichi. “Are you still sleeping?”

“…No. I just wanted him to go away.” Kokichi admitted. “He’s scary.”

“Why is Kaito scary?”

“He punched me.”

“I mean, you did kind of deserve it.” Shuichi laughed.

“Oh… yeah, I guess.” Kokichi sat up, rubbing his eyes. “Sorry for sleeping on you.”

“You’re fine.” Shuichi smiled. “I don’t mind, to be honest. If it helps you, go ahead.”

“Helps me?” Kokichi echoed. “Helps me what?”

Shuichi looked away. “You can stay here, if you want.” He stood up. “I’m going to go see something.”

“Oh…” Kokichi watched him go. “Goodbye.”

Shuichi nodded, heading over to the door and leaving Kokichi alone in the room. Even if he didn’t mean to, Kokichi fell asleep yet again in Shuichi’s lab.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some calm after the storm that is chapter 21... welcome to in game chapter 5  
> canon is basically a rough draft at this point lmao  
> despite this I hope you all enjoy ⊂((・▽・))⊃


	23. Phantasmagoria

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kokichi sleep and sushi had bad dream

Shuichi had returned to his lab later that day to see Kokichi sitting by the fireplace in silence. He walked up to him and hesitated to speak.

“…Hey.” Kokichi greeted him.

“Hey.” Shuichi greeted back. “I’m guessing you really like it in here?”

Kokichi shrugged, his gaze unwavering towards the fire. “I guess.”

“You’ve been in here all day.” Shuichi commented. “How come?”

“Alright, fine. I like it in here.” Kokichi pouted, turning his head to face Shuichi. “Happy now, Mr. Detective?”

“I suppose I am.” He sat down in a chair across from Kokichi, opening his book yet again. “Have you eaten?”

“Not hungry.” Kokichi replied.

“Why not?” Shuichi pressed.

“Is this a detective’s lab or a therapist’s lab?” Kokichi grunted. “I can’t seem to tell the difference anymore.”

“You’ve been to a therapist to know what it’s like, then.” Shuichi noted.

Kokichi shook his head. “No, I haven’t. That was a lie.”

Shuichi smiled, continuing to read his book. “I believe you… But what exactly are you doing in here?”

“Relaxing.”

“Here?”

“That’s right.”

“Hm.” Shuichi blinked, looking from his book to stare Kokichi in the eyes. Kokichi, however could not meet his gaze. “You’re still afraid of me?”

Kokichi’s calm demeanor disappeared in moments. “I’m not scared of anyone. I’m a Supreme Leader of evil.”

“Ah… alright…” Shuichi gave up. “If you want to talk I’m right h—”

“No, no. That won’t be necessary. Despite my antisocial appearance I’m always engaged in conversation with myself.” Kokichi joked.

“With the other one of you? Who is he?” Shuichi continued.

“As I said before, I don’t know.” Kokichi hissed. “Why do you keep asking the same questions so much? I answer you once and you keep going!”

Shuichi didn’t seem to care about Kokichi’s sudden hostile tone. Instead, he held his place in his chair and smiled in an almost amused way. “You’re a leader, right?” He asked. “Don’t leaders care about and protect their people?”

Kokichi looked away. “Yeah, so?” He didn’t really know how to answer that. “I’m not a leader. I’m a _Supreme_ Leader. Idiot.”

It was almost night time at this point. Kokichi didn’t know this, but Shuichi did. Despite this, Shuichi stayed reading his book until Kokichi spoke.

“Hey.” He began. “At the Insect Meet and Greet…” Kokichi paused, turning his head towards Shuichi but yet again not meeting his eyes. “Was that you who treated my wounds?”

Shuichi looked up in surprise. “What? No…” He looked away.

“Liar.”

“Fine, you got me.” Shuichi admitted. “What about it?”

Kokichi shrugged. “Just a hunch.”

Shuichi continued reading his book in silence until the night time announcement played. Kokichi stood up to leave, seeing Shuichi wasn’t moving.

“Aren’t you coming?” He asked.

“No, I’d like to finish reading this first.” Shuichi nodded. “Have a good night, Kokichi.”

“Good night.” Kokichi waved, heading towards the dorms.

The night air was cool and crisp. Inhaling it, Kokichi could almost feel how calm it was around him… It was too calm. Voice hadn’t appeared all day, either. Kokichi opened the door to his room and flicked on the lights, closing the door behind him and taking multiple steps forward, but then…

He felt a sharp prod on his shoulder. Quickly turning around, he saw Voice standing there with a knife. In that moment, Voice dashed up to Kokichi and impaled him in the chest with the knife. Before Kokichi could react to the pain, he quickly awoke to realize he had been dreaming. Yet somehow, a knife rested on his desk.

Kokichi sat up in a flash, putting his hands to his chest in pure horror. “You’re back. You’re back again. I thought you would be gone but you’re here again and you’re going to kill me and they’llallsee—”

By this point Kokichi had grabbed hold of the knife and was holding it to his chest. His entire body was trembling, but he didn’t hesitate. As he went to do it, he suddenly halted, dropping the knife to the ground. Without noticing the tears on his cheeks, he picked up the knife and sat it down on the table once more.

“Is this what you’ve reduced me to?” Kokichi spoke aloud. “This is what you’ve wanted, right?”

Voice didn’t reply, but Kokichi felt like he heard laughter in the back of his head. It wasn’t clear to hear, but it was resonating like a television playing in the room over. He didn’t speak, however. He remained in a state of quiet laughter—if it was laughter at all.

Kokichi dashed out of the room in a burst of energy. He didn’t think—he just ran. He ran faster then he ever did in his life. He wasn’t running from a material thing. He was running from something closer than that.

Without noticing where he had gone, Kokichi had ended up in front of Shuichi’s lab once more. He didn’t hesitate to knock on the door in a panic.

“Yes?” Shuichi called, not knowing who it was.

Kokichi opened the door. Shuichi looked over with surprise. He stood up, leaving his book on the chair and rushing over. He placed his hands on Kokichi’s shoulders. In response to this, Kokichi flinched.

“Kokichi, what happened?” He asked forcefully.

Kokichi shook his head, too scared to speak. He finally met Shuichi’s gaze, revealing the fear that he had been hiding. He was breathing heavily—but whether this was from fear or from running was unknown.

After several moments, Kokichi took a sharp breath to speak. “Can… Can I stay here?” He asked. “I… I don’t want to be in my room… I don’t want to be alone…”

Shuichi smiled, letting go of Kokichi. He closed the door behind them and nodded. “Of course you can—just… tell me what’s wrong.”

Kokichi violently shook his head. “I can’t—he’ll just make you forget, and I don’t—I don’t… wanna go through that again.” He looked into Shuichi’s eyes to be met with… understanding?

Shuichi nodded, bringing Kokichi to the largest couch. Kokichi lay down and leaned his head on the pillow that was there. He faced towards the side of the couch, hiding his face from the rest of the world. Shuichi watched as Kokichi closed his eyes. He himself sat down in his chair and continued reading his book by the fireplace.

 

 

Kokichi opened his eyes to darkness. He then realized that his breathing was muffled. After a few moments, he had taken off the pillow that covered his face. He glanced at the clock on the wall. In a few minutes, the morning announcement would play. He rolled over, his eyes falling on a sleeping Shuichi. He had changed seats and was now sitting at the desk, his head leaning on his arms that rested upon the top of the table. Kokichi yawned, rolling onto his back. He had gotten a decent amount of sleep—not nearly enough for someone who wasn’t stuck in a game of life and death.

As if a few minutes had already passed, the morning announcement played. Shuichi sat up, rubbing his eyes and stretching his arms. He looked around sleepily, his eyes resting on Kokichi, who was staring back with a blank stare.

“…What are you doing?” Shuichi asked.

“Same thing as you, Shuichi.” Kokichi yawned. “I just got up as well.”

Shuichi sighed, rubbing his head. “You haven’t eaten in a while, right? Let’s go to the dining hall.” He stood up, motioning for Kokichi to follow.

Kokichi stood up and walked over to Shuichi, who was opening the door of his lab. The two walked down the steps to the dining hall, talking to each other about dreams.

“I’ve not dreamt of anything nice in a while.” Shuichi said. “How about you?”

“I don’t know if my dreams count as dreams.” Kokichi mumbled. “I usually just end up talking to _him_ …” He finished his sentence with a cold, hateful tone.

Shuichi took the hint and didn’t press further. “I had… a weird dream though.” He was deep in thought, trying to remember each moment. “It… didn’t feel like a dream. It felt so real…”

“How come?” Kokichi tipped his head towards Shuichi with interest.

“…I…” Shuichi raised his hand to his chin, showing his deep concentration. “I remember… It was dark. I was laying down, and I could hear the sound of machinery. I could only see from lights from afar. They were dim, but they were there. Everything…” He paused, taking a moment. “Everything was dead quiet for the majority of what I remember… Until…”

“Until what?” Kokichi asked.

“Until…” Shuichi shook his head. “The sound of machinery suddenly stopped, and all I could see was pink.”

“Like blood?” Kokichi froze.

Shuichi nodded. “Yeah, I guess so.” He kept walking.

Kokichi’s hands shot to his mouth. He wanted to speak but he couldn’t. Moments passed before Shuichi turned around, seeing Kokichi looking as plain as ever as he walked beside him. Nothing had ever happened.

Nothing.

Had.

_Ever._

Happened.

The two opened the door to the dining hall, sitting down closer to everyone else. Kiibo, Tsumugi, and Himiko were already there chatting. Moments later, Kaito and Maki showed up. They all sat together before getting their food.

“With my magic, I can predict that there won’t be any more murders!” Himiko was saying.

“I don’t know if I want to trust that…” Kiibo shrugged. “How could you possibly know something like that?”

“Nyeh?” Himiko paused. “I told you, it’s my magic.”

“I don’t know why, but I think we should trust Himiko.” Tsumugi sighed. “We’re all peaceful, right? Anyone even remotely suspicious is gone.”

“That itself is suspicious…” Himiko muttered.

Kokichi smiled. The calming atmosphere certainly kept him happy; it was relaxing yet somehow the tension was bearable. People seemed happy, yet sad at the same time. They all missed those who have died, but they all understood that they must move on.

Shuichi had left at this point, bringing back two plates of food. One of them was for Kokichi. He placed it in front of him, sitting down next to Kokichi to begin eating. Kaito had been watching with a sidelong gaze most of the while.

“You two have gotten close, huh?” He grunted. “What’s that about?”

Kokichi kept quiet. Shuichi was the one who answered. “There’s nothing about it.” He spoke. “We’ve just spent more time together lately to understand each other.”

“…” Kokichi looked at Shuichi, who wasn’t meeting his gaze. He stared at Kaito, who was shaking his head in disapproval.

“You’re my sidekick, so I’ll trust you!” Kaito smiled. It didn’t seem like it was true, though. He was faking that smile for everyone’s sake.

Shuichi remained quiet as the two ate in silence. The chatter of the remaining students is what filled the hall. It wasn’t nearly as loud and active as it was during the beginning of the killing game, but…

All was interrupted when Monokuma appeared.

 

 

“Greetings, Students!” He cheered. “I have your next motive!”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the delay! band calls ;(  
> anyways, here is chapter 23! the plot is GOING FURTHER and itll be gr8!!!  
> there are a few little things hidden in this chapter and i wonder if you'll catch on  
> at the story continues!  
> thank you all for your support <3


	24. Disintegrate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> voiceichi has dem apples

Monokuma popped out from the floor. “Hello, my students!” He chanted. “I have a prize for all of you!”

“A prize? Really?” Maki was damn close to snapping.

“Of course!” Monokuma held out two keys. “This one is the last real key, and this one is the real last key!”

“Wh-what’s the difference?” Himiko asked.

Monokuma ignored the girl. “Go find the places these keys unlock! Good luck! Have fun!” He disappeared, leaving everyone in slight silence.

Kokichi slipped out of the hall and into the kitchen, grabbing an apple. His eyes travelled from the food to the silverware, and the small knife set out just for him. He grabbed it, positioning it in such a way within his pocket it would not tear anything. He sighed, walking out with an apple he had already nearly finished.

“So… what do we do?” Tsumugi asked as he walked back in.

“We go find the new area, duh.” Kokichi shrugged. “What else is there to do?”

“It may contain a Flashback Light.” Kiibo pointed out.

Kokichi shivered. Flashback Lights usually gave him a violent headache and loads of unwanted pain. He knew something was up with those. He just _knew_.

Shuichi noticed this and asked, “Are you alright?” To which Kokichi nodded. Without noticing, he had clenched his fists in tension. His purple eyes were filled with slight fear and annoyance.

Kaito shook his head. “Are you seriously still talking to that guy?” He asked Shuichi. “His lunacy killed Gonta—and Miu, by extension. How can you still put up with him?”

“..!” Kokichi had snapped out of his state of thought. He looked around frantically to see who had disturbed him, his gaze resting on Kaito. “What?”

“You heard me!” Kaito roared. “I don’t think we should trust someone who would murder another for the sake of ‘ending the killing game’. We all wanna live, so why—”

“We all wanna live?” Kokichi echoed. “That’s funny.” He stood up, stretching his arms. “I didn’t know you could read minds.” He began to walk towards the door, knowing that he was not welcome anymore. “If you _can_ read minds, you’re obviously not good at it.”

“What do you—”

“Where are you going, Kokichi?” Shuichi stood up.

Kokichi turned around. “I’m going to go find any locked doors, of course.”

Shuichi cleared the distance between them. “Then let’s all go together.” He held the keys in his left hand putting them into his pocket with a smile. “Come on!”

Everyone reluctantly followed as the group, led by Shuichi, travelled through the hallways to find locked doors. Shuichi had walked up to everyone unknown door and used both keys on it until he reached a dual set of tiled doors. Upon opening it, the group was greeted by a long spiral staircase. Kokichi walked promptly behind Shuichi up to the top, but it was overwhelming. The staircase was very long, and he had to pause multiple times to catch his breath.

At the top, there was a short hallway with one door at the end. By process of elimination, Kokichi decided this was the Ultimate Astronaut’s Lab. The group headed towards the door, led by Kaito. As they reached the door, Kaito turned around.

He started at Kokichi with a menacing look. “I don’t want you going in here.” He said promptly, as if Kokichi would just walk away.

“What?” Kokichi was taken aback. “What’s wrong, Kaito?”

Kaito didn’t look Kokichi in the eye after the innocent answer. “I don’t trust you, man. You killed Miu and Gonta—who knows what else. I don’t want you to get more information…”

Kokichi hadn’t listened to the rest of his words. Unintentionally, he cut the astronaut off. “I told you already, that wasn’t me.”

“Bullshit it wasn’t you!” Kaito shouted. He raised his fist at Kokichi.

Kokichi, by reflex, pulled out the sharp knife and held it towards Kaito. His eyes were wide in pure fear towards Kaito’s sudden aggression. From the back of his head, he heard more laughter.

_Finally! Go ahead, go and kill him. See how it fairs you._

Before Kaito could speak, Maki dashed from where she was, pinning Kokichi to the wall. He dropped the knife and reached for the hand grasped around his neck. His eyes were squinted, and he straightened them to see Maki’s dead red eyes piercing into his own. He… was far too weak to fight back, however.

“Maki, stop!” Shuichi burst from the remaining students, putting his hand on Maki’s shoulder. Maki looked at him with irritation. “…Please…” He pleaded.

Maki sighed, dropping Kokichi to the floor. Kokichi gasped for breath, coughing in recoil. He looked around at the floor, reaching for his knife that he had dropped before.

Shuichi noticed him, quickly picking up the knife. Kokichi looked at him with pleading eyes. “I… need that…” He whispered.

“Why do you have this?” He asked forcefully. “What were you planning to do?”

Kokichi stood up, looking at Shuichi with a blank stare.

_Yeah, Kokichi… What were you gonna do? Kill him? Kill yourself? Make the same mistake you made last ti—_

“I won’t…” Kokichi muttered. “I can’t say.”

Kaito hissed. “This is exactly why I don’t want him in there.” He turned and opened the door. The rest of the students walked in—perhaps to escape Kokichi, perhaps to escape the drama that followed.

Shuichi stood in front of Kokichi, holding the knife in his left hand. He was completely still, staring at Kokichi. “I need an explanation.”

“I—” Kokichi covered his mouth in pain. His chest roared with a sudden pain he couldn’t possibly understand. It came almost out of nowhere. “I—I don’t know what to say…”

“Then…” Shuichi took a step forward. “Let me talk to _you_.”

“Wh…what?”

“Not you, Kokichi.” Shuichi looked past Kokichi. “Let me talk to the _other_ you.”

Kokichi hesitated. “What do you—”

He froze, his mouth shutting closed. His manner of standing there, the look on his face, the way he unclenched his fists…

This was not Kokichi.

Shuichi, realizing this, stood there in a respectful way. He didn’t want to misspeak. “Ah… Hello…”

Voice giggled. “Hi! You call, I answer! This is The Voice Inside Your Mind but call me Voice! That’s what this little guy calls me anyways.” He pointed to himself with a cheerful grin. “What can I do for you, pal?”

“Are you the Kokichi that killed… Gonta and Miu?” Shuichi started.

“Oh! Let’s not talk here—there are spies who may listen.” Voice began to walk towards the steps. “Why not go to my lab with me? Yeah! That’ll work!”

“Ah… okay…” Shuichi nodded reluctantly, walking after him.

“We’ll talk on the way there!” Voice nodded. “Hm… Am I the one who killed Gonta and Miu…” He paused. “I didn’t kill either of them! I just made Gonta do it! Oh, did that make you sad? Sorry, but not sorry!”

“Why aren’t you even a little remorseful towards your actions?” Shuichi looked away.

“I’ve said before, didn’t I? I don’t want anyone to steal my prey.” Voice’s tone began to harshen. “Do… do you want to steal my prey?”

“What do you mean ‘your prey’? Do you mean Kokichi?” Shuichi continued. “Are you trying to kill Kokichi?”

“Whaaaat?! Of course not! I have other things in mind.”

“Like what?”

“Kokichi Oma…” Voice stopped walking and smiled. “Must atone for his sins.” And in that moment in the courtyard, Voice disappeared. Kokichi was standing there yet again with a surprised look on his face. “You talked to him?”

“I did… sort of.”

“W…what did he tell you?” Kokichi hesitated.

“…Nothing important.” Shuichi sighed. “I still need to know what you were going to do with that knife.”

“I was going to kill you all with it!” Kokichi laughed. “Nah, that’s a lie. I was actually just going to bring it for self-defense.” He laughed again. “Nah, I was actually going to kill you all with it.”

Shuichi looked away. “You—you really scared me.” He admitted.

Kokichi’s persona faded. “I’m… sorry.” He mumbled. “I won’t do it again.” He spoke like a child who cursed unknowingly. He walked up to Shuichi and raised his hand. He patted Shuichi’s head multiple times. “There, there! Feel better!” He cheered.

Shuichi smiled. “You shouldn’t be the one cheering people up.” He chuckled. “It’s rather cold, here… Would you like to go to my lab?”

Kokichi nodded. “I’ll go there…You should go back to the others. Tell them where I am, or something… If they care.”

“Okay.” Shuichi nodded. “I’ll… see you later, okay?” He began to walk away, taking multiple steps forward before turning around. “Be careful, Kokichi.”

“Mhm!” Kokichi smiled. “Don’t worry about me!” He ran off towards the stairwell in a fit of excitement. Why was he excited? What was exciting? He didn’t care and ran up the steps to Shuichi’s lab. He opened the door and closed it behind him. Without hesitation, he sat down on the couch.

Kokichi’s eyes flitted towards the book left on the table. It was the one Shuichi had been reading. He smiled, laying down. He closed his eyes and thought of Shuichi’s voice reading his book to him as he would sleep.

Why was he thinking of that again? It was just a boy reading a book. Big deal. His eyes opened very annoyingly. He rolled over, closing his eyes again. But this time, he thought of Voice. Needless to say, it worked.

He was back in his own mind. Voice was lounging on the couch again, playing on his little tablet. Kokichi sat down next to him, looking over Voice’s shoulder as he played. Eventually, Kokichi fell asleep watching Voice play his mobile games. It was calming—but a bit unsettling that he fell asleep next to the figure that wanted him dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chAAAPTER 24 BOIII  
> okay so this is a thing
> 
> p.s.  
> why I don't write summaries: im lazy  
> why I don't write proper notes: idk what to put here


	25. A Journey Between Two Minds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kokichi watched voiceichi and voicechi does a bad

Kokichi was asleep in conversation with Voice. He woke up after what seemed to be minutes in the dream. It was quiet. He opened his eyes slowly to get used to the light that flowed from the lamp nearby. However, he was interrupted by footsteps.

“…Huh?!” He heard a voice from the other side of the door. Quickly paced footsteps followed… and then,

 

_BANG!_

Kokichi shot up, dashing towards the door to see what had happened. Shuichi was standing there, staring in awe. He was looking towards where a large, fancy door once stood. That door had crumbled into pieces, revealing a black and red door in its place.

“What the hell?!” Kokichi shouted. “Way to wake me up!”

Monokuma appeared from the corner. “Sorry to say—this research lab is closed!”

“Huh?!” Shuichi looked at the door. “Why is it closed?”

“As the rules state…” Monokuma continued, “If a person dies before their research lab is opened, it will remain closed.”

“I’ve never heard of such a rule!” Shuichi protested. He sighed, recollecting his thoughts. “So… this is Rantaro’s lab?”

“…It’d be quite a dramatic development if you could go in his lab right now…” Monokuma sighed. “But rules are rules, y’know? Sorry!” He smiled honestly before disappearing.

“…”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“Good morning.” Shuichi blinked.

“Hey.” Kokichi greeted.

“…”

“…”

“Okay, I’m going back to your lab.” Kokichi began to walk away.

“Hang on—I was actually going to wake you up now anyways.” Shuichi intercepted him, walking up in front of Kokichi to halt him.

“Oh? Why’s that?” Kokichi’s eyes narrowed.

_I dunno, Kokichi Let’s kill him. Nah, don’t. You need to be sane for my wish to be fulfilled—let’s just leave!_

Shuichi was quiet. He wasn’t meeting Kokichi’s eyes. “Are you okay?” He asked. “Not in a sarcastic way. Not a lie, either. Not even the… the second you…” He met the smaller boy’s gaze. “ _I’m talking to Kokichi Oma._ ” He waited for an answer. “I’ll ask again. Are you okay?”

Kokichi shrugged. “Just fine, Mr. Detective. I’m just peachy knowing I’ll die soon anyways.”

“You’ll die soon? What do you mean?” Shuichi asked.

“Oh please… We all know that I’m going to die.” Kokichi rolled his eyes as if this was an obvious statement.

Shuichi looked at him with horror. “You’re not going to die.” He affirmed. “You’re not going to die.”

Kokichi pushed him off. “Aren’t you going to ask anything else?” He asked.

“…No…” Shuichi mumbled. “That was serious… What makes you think I’m going to ask another question? That’s the most imp—”

“Liar.”

_We both know he cares about you. Why would such an innocent boy try to get involved with a filthy being like you? You’re gonna die anyways, so why not just keep him out of i—_

“Leave me alone.” Kokichi said out loud. “It’s not just me being dramatic. It’s me giving you the truth you so desire. I’m a ticking timebomb… And some of that is a lie!” His cheery persona appeared frantically within his own spur of insults. “Okaaay? Got it? Great! That’s a promise!”

With a flick of his fingers to form a thumbs up, Kokichi strolled away. Yet another one of his little outbursts had passed, leaving Shuichi behind in the dust. He skipped to the stairwell, down the steps and towards his lab. He opened the manhole and hopped in happily, closing it above him. As he climbed down the ladder, he couldn’t help but feel anxious. He felt… _bad._ He wanted to apologize to Shuichi. By this point, he was at the bottom of the ladder. He sighed, rubbing his eyes in frustration. He _really_ wanted to apologize.

Kokichi looked up the ladder, climbing up hastily. He wanted to get back to Shuichi and just… say sorry. But as he reached to open the cover, he came to a terrifying conclusion.

The door was locked.

He tried to open it again.

It wouldn’t budge.

Kokichi slammed his fist to the door, trying to get a sort of reaction from the other side. Yet nobody had shown up. He slammed his fist once more, twice as hard, but only received the pain that it entailed. Kokichi recoiled, climbing down the ladder holding his wounded hand.

The voice of a machine had echoed throughout the tunnel as Kokichi came to a sudden halt. 

_Let’s chat. Let’s make a deal._

“Why would I want to t—”

_Silence._

Voice’s cold words silenced Kokichi. The tone of voice was quite different then the one who had provoked him before—the one who was dying of boredom—the one who wanted him to die. All of those voices… None of them matched the malice and pure hatred shadowed behind this one.

_I’m going to make this clear and I’m only going to say this once. I want full control over your body. My plan is in motion._

“What? No, of course not!” Kokichi protested. “Why the hell would I agree to some stupid plan?”

_If you do not agree, you will not be able to leave, and I will simply kill your ‘friends’ above._

Kokichi hesitated. “They’re… they’re not my friends.”

_Lie to yourself even more, I dare you. I am awaiting your answer._

“W-what ever happened to you wanting me to kill myself?!” Kokichi stammered.

_I assume seeing your cherished friends dead again will lead you insane. That’ll suffice._

“You wouldn’t dare.” Kokichi smirked. “I know you too well. You’re all talk and no action. The only thing you’ll ever do is harm m—”

 _I suppose you’d think that. I’ve given myself several different personas throughout the span of me being with you here. Whichever you think is the real me—well, I don’t know._ Voice sounded annoyed. _I believe we can come to an agreement._

“I don’t really have a choice, huh?” Kokichi sighed. “Go on. I’m listening.”

_I’m not really a person. I can’t do much on my own… I can do enough, but I believe my goal will be achieved much better if I used your body. I’ve done so before, but there were… limitations…_

“What do you mean ‘limitations’?” Kokichi hissed.

_Of course, you didn’t willingly allow me to use your body. I feel like I couldn’t do… everything I wanted to do. But that’s okay. I’m asking now. Let me use your body._

“But you said you’ll hurt the—”

_I will. That is the plan… Don’t tell me you care for them? You just brushed away the detective boy. He was the only one who was even remotely friendly towards you. Good job. You lost the one person you still had._

“…” Kokichi bit his tongue, tightening his fists in anger.

_If you want, I’ll get him first, so he doesn’t have to deal with the pain of seeing his friends die. Or… maybe I’ll kill him last, and in front of you? Either way, you’ll end up dying, so…_

“Shut up…”

_I think I’ll go with the second choice. Yeah. I’ll get Shuichi and hide him away until it’s time… And when everyone is dead… I’ll kill him right in front of you… And at the last moment, I’ll pull the trigger at him, quickly transferring **our** body back to you… And my job will be done._

“Shut up…!”

_Maybe after that, you’ll shoot yourself in the head at last. Unless that’s not your cup of tea? Do you have a preference? I can arrange anything you’d like. After all, the docs don’t seem to mind my alterations!_

“SHUT UP!”

_Anyways, you’re still not giving me an answer. Unless you still have any reason left to live?_

Kokichi shot his head to the ground. He shook his head, trying to relieve himself of the thoughts that plagued his mind. It was as if one thought would lead to another—and that one would lead to another—and they would only ever get worse.

The thoughts were lurking in the corners of his mind, each of them reaching their hand out to the outer conscience. Their presence alone was terrifying. The thoughts had taken the form of shadows, trying all too hard to climb out of the depths they came from to infect everything and anything around them.

“ _Please… go away… I can’t…”_ Kokichi covered his face in an attempt to hide. “ _No, no… I can’t… not again… go away… please… I can’t…”_

_I’ll help you get them to leave if you let me take over your body. They’ll all go away._

“ _Yes, please… Anything to get them away… Please get them away from me…”_

Despite not being physically there, Kokichi could just _see_ the smile on Voice’s face. In that moment, all of his careless thoughts vanished. The colors around him began to saturate—but that saturation began to turn into a dull, monochromatic pattern. He fell backwards, his vision blurring into something else. A new wave of thoughts—no, _memories_ , flowed into him.

He was not seeing his own memories. He was seeing Voice’s.

Voice was crouched in the corner of a small room, covering ears and hiding his face from the world. From beyond the door, Kokichi could hear loud bangs and screaming. With every noise increasing in volume, Voice flinched. Just then, the door slammed open. A middle-aged man grabbed Voice by the shirt and lashed out with his fist into Voice’s face.

Despite the obvious pain, Voice didn’t fight back. He just closed his eyes and kept his mouth tightly shut. Kokichi looked out of the door, seeing a young woman passed out on the floor with a large bruise on her face. Her face had the look it was once beautiful. But now, that beauty was covered by one that was old and worn.

Kokichi’s attention was brought back to the man and Voice. “You good-for-nothing child! All you’ve ever done is make my life a living hell! Everything would be so much better if you’d just disappear!” The man shouted. He dropped Voice to the floor, kicking him to the wall. He stormed out of the room, slamming the door leading outside closed behind him.

Voice, bleeding from the mouth, sat up hazily. It was as if he was used to faking himself passed out. He wiped his face with his sleeve, wobbly standing up and limping over to the woman. His body went through Kokichi’s as he kneeled down next to the woman, placing his cold hand on her face.

“Mama.” He mumbled. “He’s gone now. You can open your eyes.” The woman was still. “Mama… I know it was worse then usual… Please open your eyes. I’m scared.” Voice nudged at the woman. “Mama?” He blinked. “…” He gasped, coming to a realization. “Okay, Mama… I’ll let you rest…” Voice stood up, limping to his mother’s room where Kokichi saw the hidden aid kits and bandages.

It was an awkward way of doing it, but Voice had applied a cheap variety of medicine and bandages to his wounds. He did the same to his mother. Voice once again hid the kit inside of the master bedroom and limped to what Kokichi believed was his room.

The room was mostly empty with a small wooden desk in the corner. There was a bed that looked too small to fit more then one person. Across the walls were posters that looked like they were bought from the cheapest dollar store. Most of the posters contained the same two characters: A boy with brown hair and a girl with light purple hair.

Voice lay down on the small bed, closing his eyes with his head under the pillow. Kokichi’s surroundings began to evaporate into tiny particles yet again. This time, Voice was much older. He was standing on a small stage in what seemed to be an abandoned warehouse. In front of him was a group of people wearing clothes similar to his. Each of them had their own unique mask. However, the world around him now was glitching out like a crappy computer screen. The area quickly disappeared, being replaced by a small stage quite like the warehouse.

Kokichi could see Voice was talking to the four men sitting at a judge’s table across the room. He couldn’t hear any of the words he spoke, however. They were muffled as if he was speaking underwater…

But then, the world disappeared, only to be replaced by a room that he had _definitely seen before._ Voice was staring down at a small control panel, pressing down a button and quickly dashing away. Kokichi darted his head around as he heard a loud noise…

_SNAP._

Kokichi turned around, being greeted by a large pool of blood. He had seen this before… He had seen this…

 

It was the moment he killed Shuichi.

 

The world disappeared yet again. This time, however, he was standing next to Voice and Shuichi. The words could not be understood once more. Shuichi looked… confident. He was smiling at Voice, holding his hand with warm eyes. But then, Voice spoke something unheard to Kokichi’s ears. Shuichi snapped his hand away, looking down in a melancholic way. He hesitated before nodding. Voice smiled, wiping his eyes as he evaporated into particles. The world around him began to dissipate, but Shuichi’s figure remained.

His head turned to Kokichi with eyes that were all too clear. “It’s time to wake up, now.”

Kokichi’s eyes shot open to the white area in which he and Voice had talked. In front of him was a large monitor displaying what he believed to be what Voice saw in his eyes. Voice was walking down the tunnel back to the ladder, climbing it up with a malicious smile.

“Don’t worry, Kokichi.” He spoke. “I’m sure you understand it all now. Those memories, everything… They weren’t just mine, _they were yours too._ ”

It was then that Kokichi had understood who Voice was.

 

Voice was himself.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am so so so sorry for the hold up! the power had flickered in the middle of writing and IT DIDNT AUTO SAVE AND I LOST A LOT OF WORK and that basically made me too sad to keep working... but here it is! im sorry if this chapter doesn't make sense and im happy to try and explain anything to the best of my ability (since im really bad at explaining ;D)!
> 
> anyways, a few things have finally been clarified in the story that ive been hinting at for a while and i wonder if you've noticed any of them?   
> thank you all so very much for your support <3! \ \ \\\٩(｡•ω•｡)و // / /


	26. Set in Motion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> voiceichi shows things to kokichi

Kokichi had spaced out inside of his mind, but when he looked back at the monochromatic screen, he was greeted by Voice walking down the halls of the school. His arms swung back and forth almost mechanically, but the large smile on his face betrayed his own foolish excitement.

“If I talk here, do you hear me in your mind?” Kokichi asked.

 _Yep! That’s right!_ Voice’s lips did not move. He was thinking just like Kokichi had done before to converse with each other without truly speaking. _How is it in there? Do you like it? I cleared everything out for you._

“It’s…” Kokichi didn’t want to hear is own reply. He enjoyed being here. He enjoyed not having to do anything anymore, but…

Voice’s memories… _His_ memories. Were they truly the same person? If that were the case, then why did they feel so _wrong_? Just thinking about it made him feel connecting with Voice—because they _were_ connected, were they not? But Kokichi didn’t need to worry anymore. He didn’t have to worry about anything anymore. He could just stay there and relax.

“…It’s nice…” Kokichi mumbled.

 _I’m glad you like it!_ Voice turned a sharp corner to exit the building. _I’ve been working on and off on this, you know?_

“…On what?”

 _My plan!_ Voice smirked. _It’ll be amazing! You’ll absolutely love it! If not, there’s a money back guarantee…_

“…’Kay.”

Voice left the building, heading down the steps outside and walking patiently down a pathway to a building Kokichi hadn’t entered in a very, very long time. Voice stepped into the building and through the electronic halls until he came across a large, electric shielded door. He stood there for a few moments before reaching his hand out, causing the shield to disappear in an instant.

 _In case you’re wondering, I’m not a human. Anymore, at least._ Voice giggled. He walked into the room. _I’m more of a glitch in the system. The docs can’t ever get rid of me._

“…Docs?”

 _Mhm! The doctors, you know? Eh… you probably don’t remember them. Oh well…_ Voice yawned, taking a gaze around the room. Various weapons were scattered across the floor. They were arranged by their typing. Knives and assorted blades were in one area and ranged weapons in another. _What do you think of my collection?_

“Where did you get those?” Kokichi was sitting down on a small chaise at this point, his head leaning on his arm in slight boredom.

_I made them myself._

“Oh is that so.”

 _Yes! It’s not hard, you know. Just work a little bit of this and that… Tinker with it, you know?_ Voice waved his hands around, a small knife appearing out of tiny particles. _If you’ve learned the code, it’s not hard. Especially when you’re really good at knowing the code._

“…Cool.”

_Eh… You seem out of it. What’s wrong?_

“Nothing.”

 _Sure, sure. You don’t seem excited. I’ll stop talking now, so you can just sit back and watch._ Voice arranged the weapons once more, going through each of them with a puzzled look on his face. He picked up a small, awkward looking contraption. It seemed to be a sort of firearm, but it was much smaller.

Voice hid the small machine in his pocket with the safety on, so it would not fire. He took a deep breath, raising his arms in front of him. Small, blue particles from the air around him began to shape into what looked like an Exisal. He smiled, rubbing his face in comfort for what looked like a tiring task.

It was then that he heard footsteps coming from down the hall. Voice clicked his tongue, turning on the electric shield once more. He sighed, sitting down against the wall next to the door while waiting for the people to leave. He looked around, as if to show Kokichi something.

Kokichi looked over at the screen once more. Voice was staring at a small control panel accompanied by a large rectangular machine. It… was something he didn’t want to see again.

That was the place he killed Shuichi Saihara.

“…Why the hell are you showing me this…?!” Kokichi hissed. “I never want to see that again!”

_Neither do I, buddy. But oh well. Gotta deal with it, right?_

“Mind explaining your little plan, then?” Kokichi pressed.

_I think it’d be better for you, my audience, to watch it as it goes—don’t you think?_

Kokichi sighed. He had suddenly gotten really tired. He lay down on the chaise he was on, closing his eyes slowly. He sighed off any worries he may have had. He was a bit nervous for the others, sure, but it wasn’t his problem anymore. He was quite glad that he had accepted this offer. Now, anything that Kokichi Oma had to do was taken out by someone who was not himself. The fact that he could stay alone and safe the rest of his life was calming.

He blinked open his eyes not even moments later.

Someone was banging on the door to the hangar. Voice flinched, laughing it off as a sort of joke. He stood up, walking away from the door in case he were to be heard. Soon, the bangs were gone, and the lingering voices faded out. Voice smiled at this. He waited for a couple of minutes before leaving the room, locking it behind him and heading back to his lab.

On the way there, he saw who it was that was there up ahead. It was Kaito, Maki, and Shuichi who had appeared inside. They were assumedly trying to get into the hangar.

As if he had been heard, Maki had tilted her head back to turn around. Her eyes were bright red, even to Kokichi. Kokichi’s dull, black and white screen of Voice’s world could not help but leave in Maki’s dying red colored eyes. Voice’s eyes widened, and a deep smile formed, but he couldn’t help but jump back before Maki could register what it is she saw moving. Kaito and Shuichi looked back in confusion.

“What was that, Maki?” Shuichi asked. “Did you see something?”

“I saw something. I do not know what.” Maki narrowed her eyes. “I know I saw something, but…”

Kaito shrugged. “I dunno. If it comes back, we’ll know to keep watch for it, I guess.”

The three of them walked away, leaving Voice waiting with that same smile. It was rather dark at this point, so he snuck to the dorms and into Kokichi’s room, locking the door with a sigh of relief.

_I’m gonna come see you now, Kokichi._

Kokichi sat up, looking around. Out of the millions of particles arose Voice. His mirror like appearance had always given Kokichi chills.

“ _HI HELLO HOW ARE YOU ON THIS LOVELY EVENING”_ Voice jumps over to Kokichi, gracefully sitting next to him as if it was a normal motion.

“Shut up.” Kokichi hissed. “I don’t want you here anymore. Go away. Let me have some peace and quiet.”

“ _It gets boring pretty fast._ ” Voice pointed out.

“For you.” Kokichi rolled his eyes. “I think I’ll live.”

“ _I think you’ll di—”_

“Shut up.” Kokichi flicked Voice in the cheek.

Voice pouted. _“What do you think so far, Kokichi? Am I meeting your expectations_?”

“I didn’t have any expectations.” Kokichi leaned onto the side of the chaise. “I just want to be left alone.”

Voice chuckled; it was genuine laughter. There was no harm found in it. “ _I guess that’s understandable. I’ll leave you be while I’m here…_ ”

“Thanks.”

 

 

…

…

…

 

“ _Alright. I’ll get going._ ”

Kokichi sat up, looking at Voice as he began to disappear. “Goodbye.”

Voice vanished once more. None of this ever felt real to either of them, it seemed. They both treated it like a chore. Not a reality.

He turned his attention back to the monochromatic screen to see Voice heading towards the hangar once more. Voice had entered the large room where his own Exisal lay. He paused before he started to get in. Voice looked around, suddenly getting an idea.

_Why the hell would I start here and not get some build up?_

 

 

Voice had entered the dining hall where the others were eating. Shuichi was first to greet the ‘Kokichi’ that entered.

“Hello!” He called.

Voice waved his hand at Shuichi before getting his food and sitting down. He, as not a person but a _thing_ , did not need to eat typically. Because of this body that he had been using, he realized it would be best if he kept it alive and healthy.

Reluctantly, he had began to eat his meal.

“Are you feeling alright?” Shuichi asked. “You look… different.”

Voice shrugged. “ _I’m fine.”_ He muttered. “ _Just amazing.”_

_Hey, that’s how you speak, right?_

Shuichi looked away. “I… I see…”

Voice quickly finished eating, heading out of the dining hall.

“You’re just going to leave again?” Kaito rolled his eyes. “Where have you been these past few days?”

“ _Aren’t you the person who didn’t want me in their lab?”_ Voice narrowed his eyes. “ _That’s funny how you’re asking where I’d have gone instead. Really funny.”_

Maki joined in. “What’s your problem? He had good reasons for keeping you out, you know. Do you want to die?”

“ _It’ll happen eventually, I’m sure. Now all you’re doing here is causing a scene. I’d suggest not._ ” Voice turned to open the door.

_Cough._

_Cough._

He looked back to see Kaito hacking up blood once more. Maki rushed over, offering to get anything she could. Shuichi also came over with Kiibo. Himiko and Tsumugi stayed in the back, unsure of what to do.

Voice looked down at Kaito with frustration. “ _You can’t even die with grace, can you? Such an infection will not allow your death to be accepted._ ” He turned away. “ _Then again, life is short. Even after we’re dead, we still live on…_ So why not work to make yourself live on in the minds of others?” His last words sounded less of himself and more of the original Kokichi Oma. There was a hint of sarcasm hidden within his words that made Shuichi stiffen.

Before he could say anything, Voice continued to speak. “ _I’d like you all to join me at the gymnasium at noon. Do not ask why. All I can promise is that I will not kill you._ ” He closed the door behind him.

_Hey, Kokichi? Did I sound like you? It’s sooo hard to act serious and stuff. I even made up a fun quote… but it didn’t sound like either of us talking then. How strange!_

Kokichi yawned.

“Yeah, sure. Whatever you say.”

 

_Hey, is the astronaut gonna die? Is he Is he?_

 

“I’m sure he will.”

 

_…Good._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's the next chapter >v< voice's plan has begun and this will be slowly explained through several chapters... so i apologize if that's boring but EH its been planned out  
> fun fact voice's plan was probably the only fully planned part of the story (other then the obvious ending and such) i mean everything else was vaguely written as a summary but :shrug:
> 
> once the thingy happens you'll get to reread and be like "OH that's a thing"
> 
> lolololol i hope you enjoy a professional troll's (my) fanfic! :D


	27. Do Not Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> voiceichi doesn't like plain jane

Voice had headed down the hallway outside of the dining hall, but almost as clockwork, the detective had appeared behind him. This had become a recurring thing anymore. Kokichi would always end up leaving the dining hall with Shuichi right behind him.

“ _Must you always follow me?_ ” He mumbled as Shuichi caught up.

“…I’m just worried. More so then usual.” Shuichi blinked. “You’re acting different.”

“ _Different? Not possible! I’m the same as ever, am I not?_ ” Voice stuck his tongue out. “ _What’s the big deal?_ ”

Shuichi was tense. “There’s something wrong, isn’t there?” He looked away. “You… I told you you could talk to me about anything…”

Voice narrowed his eyes. “ _I’m fine.”_ He turned to walk away, but Shuichi grabbed his arm.

“Stop running away from your problems, Kokichi!” Shuichi snapped. “We’re all worried about you—stop pretending like we don’t care!”

“ _Because you’re the only one who does care.”_ Voice shook Shuichi’s arm off. “ _I appreciate that. I really do. But I’m too dangerous for you to be around._ ”

_Hey, Kokichi. You’ve said that before, right?_

“You’re…” Shuichi mumbled. “You’re not dangerous, Kokichi! Far from it!”

Voice hissed at that. “ _Like you’d know, Shuichi._ ” His walking away broke into a sprint. He raced out of the school building. He ran as fast as he could, using his nimble body to his advantage. He really wasn’t in the mood to talk with Shuichi. He arrived at the hangar, opening and closing the door behind. He took rapid breaths, probably from running like that.

‘…ngh…’ Kokichi grunted.

_Oh! Good morning! Were you sleeping that whole time?_

‘…that was the best sleep I’ve had in weeks.’

_Good, I guess? I’m surprised you can sleep in the void. That’s a little awkward, right?_

‘How is it awkward?’

_…It’s like sleeping in a dream…_

Voice looked at each of the weapons that were still on the floor. They were all props to him. They weren’t dangerous at all. They were there for their purpose: to scare. If he wanted to die, he would disappear. He had no reason to get a weapon like that.

He looked up at the Exisal he had created with a certain form of pride. He leaped up with slight grace and landed on top of it with a smug smile. It wasn’t to do anything, but to brag to Kokichi that he was the obvious superior being.

Kokichi, however, was not interested. The screen that he watched would shift sometimes between first person and third person as if he was playing a shooter. He had looked in a mirror once to see himself again after a while, only to be met with a face that was only his by name. His eyes had become dull, lifeless almost. The pigments in his hair and skin had began to fade, leaving behind a pale fragment of what he once looked like. He didn’t feel terrible, though. He felt just fine. That was just fine.

Voice was just sitting on top of the Exisal, his eyes trailing off into the distance. He was quite for a few minutes before he spoke again. “ _Do you remember what happened here?_ ”

‘Of course I do…’ Kokichi mumbled. ‘I can’t forget everything that happened. I don’t think I ever will.’

“ _…Yeah. Me neither.”_ Voice hopped off of the Exisal, turning to face the hydraulic press. “ _It wasn’t all that bad, though. He… wasn’t angry at you.”_

‘Yeah. He was fine…’

” _…”_ Voice looked away. “ _I wonder if he remembers anything.”_

‘Nobody does, Voice.’ Kokichi’s breathless voice sounded faint in Voice’s mind as he spoke. ‘I’ve tried so many times to see if anyone remembers… but they don’t.’

“ _…I see… That’s a shame. I would have loved to be remembered.”_ He placed his left hand on the cold metal surface of the press. “ _It’s clean right now. It wouldn’t be hard to lay down and just let it all go.”_

Kokichi looked down at the floor of the white void. ‘Your personality changes a lot.’

“ _My personality is not a personality anymore.”_

‘…’

”…”

‘Alright, then.’

” _I don’t know if you notice it yet.”_

‘Notice what, Voice?’

“ _The fact that I’m planning to kill everyone.”_

‘Yeah, you’ve mentioned it.’

“ _You don’t care?”_

‘I do.’

“ _Doesn’t seem like it.”_

‘Why would the victim show his fear to the culprit?’ Kokichi tapped his index finger lightly on his cheek, crossing his legs in a royal fashion. He stared at the screen in front of him like a viewer of a TV drama that was only now getting interesting. He would stare at the screen with a dark look of interest.

Voice began to collect the weapons and put them in a small package he had found in the corner of the hangar. He nodded once he was done, putting the small package inside of the Exisal.

‘I’ve been meaning to ask, Voice…’ Kokichi yawned. ‘How is it you can do all these extraordinary things?’

Voice chuckled. “ _I’m not bound by traditional human boundaries.”_ He answered vaguely. His hands waved in front of him in a circular motion. “ _If I want something, I’ll make it. Source code wasn’t that hard to learn, you see.”_

‘…Source code?’

Voice didn’t reply. He held his hand up to the Exisal, watching it vanish into tiny purple particles. “ _Let’s try something, okay?”_ He cleared his throat loudly. “ _Monokuma! Oh, Monokuma!”_

Like clockwork, the monochromatic bear appeared in front of him. “Ah, Kokichi! You call, I answer! What can I do for you?”

“ _It’s not Kokichi, ‘kuma. Remember me?”_

Monokuma looked up. “Oh! It’s you! Hey, buddy! Nice to see you!”

“ _Alright, I just wanted to show Kokichi you remembered me.”_ Voice dismissed him. “ _You’re free to leave.”_

“Still like to boss me around, huh? You’re lucky I’m not in a bad mood! Pupupupu…” Monokuma waved, quickly vanishing.

Kokichi blinked. ‘So you’re remembered? At least one of us is, I guess. Say, Voice. Am I needed anymore?’

Voice shook his head. “ _Nah, not really. You just gotta wait for my plan to be set in motion. Don’t think you’re gonna die on me now! Not like you can…”_

A small knife appeared in front of Kokichi. ‘What would happen if I…’ He swung it around aimlessly, his dull eyes not focused on the loose blade. ‘Would I be hurt?’

“ _No, you wouldn’t be hurt. You’d still feel the pain, but your body will be fine. Similar to the virtual world.”_

‘Virtual World…’ Kokichi echoed with a blank smile. ‘I’m not needed anymore… That’s nice.’ He swung the knife at his chest, wincing at the pain that seared in its place. ‘…You weren’t kidding! This pain… it’s proof that I’m still alive.’ He smiled, allowing himself to drop the knife into nothingness.

Voice walked out of the hangar and towards the door to leave. His right hand trailed along the wall where he treaded. He left the building, looking around as the sun shone down on the fields of grass around the school.

When he was walking, he saw movement on the major path. Voice turned his head to see Tsumugi standing there. She looked over at Voice with narrowed eyes and a deep smile.

 

**_Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. She’ll hurt us she’ll kill us and we’ll both be dead and everyone will be killed and they’ll all see they’ll all see us die and they’ll all laugh and enjoy it—we have to run—I have to run—_ **

****

‘Voice!’ Kokichi shouted. ‘Calm down!’

Voice took a deep breath. “ _I’m sorry…”_

Tsumugi had walked up to Voice now, smiling cheerfully. “Hi, Kokichi!” She greeted. “Are you doing anything? I’d like to talk.”

“ _Y-yeah, let’s chat.”_ Voice stuttered. “ _What’s up, Tsumugi?”_

Tsumugi looked around calmly, seeing nobody in sight. Her innocence quickly vanished. She turned her head to Voice and hissed, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

All of the anxiety that rested in Voice’s mind disappeared. “ _Hey, Tsumugi. Good to see you’re still doing well. I’ll assume you understand the situation? Don’t bother interfering.”_

“I do understand the situation. All of this would be better if you hadn’t shown up…” She raised her hands and placed them on her cheeks with a smile. “Imagine how beautiful it’d be to have it the way I envisioned… Kokichi Oma—the Ultimate Supreme Leader—had lost everything to survive, only to have to do it all again! Isn’t that beautiful?”

Voice rolled his eyes. “ _Whatever you say, Tsumugi.”_

“You don’t sound excited. This is Danganronpa, Kokichi. You must be excited. They’re not watching now—I made sure of that—but you must be happy for them!” Tsumugi pressed.

“ _…I’ll try my best?”_ Voice shrugged. Without another word, he walked past Tsumugi in an attempt to flee. This attempt was unmatched, however. Tsumugi didn’t go after him.

“Just make it entertaining.” She mumbled, unsure of whether Voice heard her or not.

Voice headed to the dormitories and into Kokichi’s room where all of the boxes were arranged sloppily. He lay down on the soft bed and let out a long sigh. His hands seeped into the blankets and his head lay limp on the pillow.

Kokichi, watching, couldn’t help but truly feel entertained. He likes where he is now—but he also liked to interact with the others. He was split between the two. He didn’t know if he truly belonged here nor there, but he also knew it would be found in due time. Until then, he would focus on Voice and made sure he wouldn’t ruin everything until the time of his death.

 

Yeah, he remembered that part. He knew he would die eventually.

 

Whether he wanted to or not was still up for debate.

****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nEXT tIME oN rECONCILE: kOKICHI dOESNT lIKE wAFFLES  
> kOKICHI dOESNT lIKE cOOKIES
> 
> hahaha if you got that reference then ily
> 
> anyways i hope you enjoyed (๑꒪▿꒪)*


	28. There is Still a Reason

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kokichi and voiceichi go to the mall and sushi exists

“ _Do you have any regrets?”_

Voice was sitting across from Kokichi in the void of his mind. Voice had fallen asleep after interacting with Tsumugi that day. He wore a bright smile on his face with sharp, snake-like eyes that pierced into Kokichi’s dull ones.

“Regrets?” Kokichi echoed. “Yes… I do.”

“ _Let’s hear them.”_

Kokichi sighed. “I wish I had said more to some of those who are dead now. I wish I could say thank you to the people that love me—if I had any. I wish I had met my parents—if I even had any. I wish I could at least _remember_ them. I wish I could remember _everything_ before I was whisked away into this killing game.”

“ _I showed you, didn’t I? The outside world.”_ Voice waved his arm around. “ _They’re all alive, I know that for a fact.”_

“…Yeah.” Kokichi looked melancholic sitting on his chair. “I just—I just really want them to know… I’ll miss them.”

“ _They may be watching. Not here—but_ there, _you know?”_ Voice stood up, walking over to Kokichi. He placed his freezing cold hands on Kokichi’s. “ _I can help you fulfill some of what you said. There is still one person you can talk to… thank, if you want.”_

“…” Kokichi looked up into Voice’s eyes. “Are you referring to…?” At Voice’s nod, Kokichi sighed. “I don’t know… H-How would you help me?”

“ _It’s quite simple, really. I’ll let you take control when we find him. You’ll talk… do whatever… but when that is over… I will take it back, and we will go on.”_ Voice sat back up, twirling around happily as if he had said nothing important.

“…I would love that.” Kokichi mumbled. “I would… really, really love that.”

Voice nodded eagerly. “ _Yeah?! Alright! Let’s wait until morning, then. Anything else you want to talk about while I’m still here?”_

“Do me a favor, Voice.” Kokichi stood up. “Can you show me the outside world again?”

“ _Oh. Uh. Sure?”_ Voice looked around, the furniture fading away. The world around the two of them began to change form. The white void had morphed into a busy downtown street. Kokichi’s dull eyes brightened only a little.

He dashed around the area, his body phasing through the bodies of people going down on their daily commute. Kokichi was having the time of his life before he noticed a shop on the store with a mascot that made him sick.

Without word, he dashed over to the shop with the name “Danganronpa”. Inside, there were posters, shirts, plushies, and anything else that could be worth someone’s money. The twist: there were faces of Monokuma, box sets of TV Shows and Movies, faces of people he recognized. He looked around in the store before resting his eyes on something that made him want to puke.

There was a large section of the store with the title: “DANGANRONPA V3: KILLING HARMONY”. There were shelves filled with merchandise with the faces of the people he’d seen dead. He covered his mouth, his stomach beginning to burn when he saw himself on posters and shirts.

“Voice… what the hell is this..?” He choked out. “What the hell is all of this?”

Voice had jumped up next to Kokichi. “ _Oh! You’re famous! Congratulations!”_ When Kokichi didn’t reply, he sighed. “ _The viewers have regarded this as the best season since the first three. No wonder there’s so much.”_

Kokichi shook his head. “This is cruel.” He hissed. “I’m getting out of here.” He turned, walking out of the store.

He was caught off guard by the sight of blonde hair passing by him. Kokichi turned around, seeing the back of someone’s head he was sure he knew.

“K…Kae—”

 

* * *

 

 

The world snapped into the white void almost immediately. Voice was nowhere to be found. Kokichi decided he must have woken up, but what he’d seen… If it was not real, then Voice was cruel. If it was real, then the world is cruel. Either way, Kokichi felt sick.

In front of him, the large screen appeared. Voice was in Kokichi’s room. He had, in fact, woken up. Voice fixed his scarf before leaving his room. He had to choices: go to the hangar or go to the dining hall. Ultimately, he decided to go to the hangar. As he walked, Kokichi noticed a pale purple beginning to show through the monochromatic screen in Voice’s eyes.

From down the hall towards the hangar, Voice and Kokichi heard footsteps. Voice stiffened, taking faster steps towards the main room. Those fast steps broke into a run. At the end of the hall, he saw _him._

Shuichi looked over with a surprised look. He blinked, staring with a certain level of interest and overall concern. Voice had walked up to him after a long, deep breath.

Although he stood confidently, Voice’s face was intertwined with so many different emotions. Shuichi had relaxed in front of the boy in an attempt not to scare him away. The Kokichi he had seen for the past few days—he was different. The Kokichi in front of him was more like the one that had been with him before the fourth trial… before he had been shown the _other one._

Voice was shaking—trembling, even. His pale hands were clutching his shirt extremely tightly. His eyes were glowing a pale purple as they usually did. But then they darkened. The fearful gaze Voice wore shifted into the sharp eyes of Kokichi. He looked up with a sad, pathetic smile.

“…Hey, Shuichi!” He greeted the detective. “I’m so glad to see you.” He wasn’t lying. He was truly happy to talk to the one person that had given him any friendship. Kokichi’s warm smile slowly turned into a frown. He looked down at his hands, which were unknowingly shaking. He brought his two hands together in an effort to cease the trembling.

“…” Shuichi was staring down at Kokichi with an unreadable look. It was a mixture of sympathy, worry, concern, anxiety, relief, anger, hatred, love… He was frozen to the place he stood. “…Kokichi…?” He whispered. “Is it… really you?” He quivered. “You look… so pale…”

Kokichi nodded eagerly. “Yeah, it’s me!” His smile shaped into one of someone who was truly happy. “I… wanted to speak to you before…” He dropped his hands to his sides and brought his eyes down. “Before you hate me.”

“Why…” Shuichi, who had looked away as Kokichi spoke, finally turned back to him. “Why would I hate you?” His voice was filled with raw emotion. “I could never hate you, Kokichi.”

“Nah, not now, anyway.” Kokichi nodded his head, closing his eyes with a deep breath. “I’m going to do something you really won’t like.” He explained. “And, as the only person here who actually cared—I’m going to say goodbye formally.”

“…Kokichi, what do you mean?” Shuichi pressed. His eyes were getting wide in anxiety. When he didn’t get an answer immediately, he repeated himself. “What do you mean, Kokichi?!”

Kokichi had ignored Shuichi’s question. “I wanted to thank you, Shuichi.” He opened his eyes very slowly. “I really, really, appreciate your entire existence.” His next breath expressed Kokichi’s entire body was shaking. “I’m just hoping you’ll forget about me when it happens. Do that for me, okay?” Tears began to form in Kokichi’s eyes.

Shuichi, realizing this, grabbed Kokichi’s shaking hands and held them with his own. “You don’t have to do anything. You’re safe—we’re safe…” He stared at Kokichi directly in the eyes. “You’re not obligated to try and end the killing game all by yourself—we can help you!”

“…Mmm…” Kokichi nodded. “But the thing is, I’m not doing it by myself… There are two of us. And we’re going to do something… something I don’t want to do.”

“Then don’t do it!” Shuichi’s grip on Kokichi’s hands tightened. “You… you can’t… you can’t…” He, himself, began to shake in pure worry. His own breaths began to quiver.

“I’m sorry, Shuichi.” Kokichi relaxed his arms, causing the only thing holding them up to be Shuichi’s grip. “I… I’ve done terrible things. To you—to everyone—but… now… I think I can finally atone for them.”

Shuichi let go of Kokichi’s hands, standing up straight and covering his eyes with his left hand. He shifted his weight as he dropped his left arm to his side, staring at Kokichi with sad, teary eyes. He reached out his right arm to touch Kokichi’s shoulder, but much to Kokichi’s surprise, he wrapped both of his arms behind Kokichi, pulling both of them together in a hug. Kokichi wrapped his tired arms around Shuichi as well, leaning his head forward into Shuichi’s shirt. It had been a long time since they had shared a moment like this.

“…I don’t want you to get hurt.” Shuichi whispered. “You… you mean so much to me. I can’t let you just disappear. Not another person…”

Kokichi didn’t reply. He just tightened his grasp on the back of Shuichi’s shirt, a certain warmth numbing the nervousness that was waiting for him once he walked away. But until that happened, he was happy…

_I hate to interrupt—but I’d like to remind you that all good things must come to an end. And all bad things must also come to an end._

“..!” Kokichi dropped his arms, causing Shuichi to do the same. He had gotten a good look at the detective’s face now. His face was a pale pink, his golden eyes sorrowful. Kokichi backed up, feeling around his pocket.

“…Are you leaving?” Shuichi mumbled. He closed his eyes tightly, opening them moments later with much brighter and clearer eyes. “We can help you, Kokichi. I know we can.”

Kokichi shook his head. “I have to do this.” He turned to walk away, taking a few half steps, before rushing around and pecking Shuichi’s cheek with his lips. “Thank you for everything.” He smiled, turning to run away.

Shuichi gasped. “W-wait!” He reached out with his hand to grab Kokichi’s arm, but he had missed by feet. It was then that he noticed what Kokichi had in his pocket.

Kokichi was running away with a knife in his hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mmm bit of a short chapter but its still a fluffer  
> in case previous chapters were a bit confusing, this is how you can remember who is speaking for future reference.  
> "italics" : Voice, out loud.  
> italics : Voice, in mind.  
> 'no italics' : kokichi, in mind.  
> "no italics" : kokichi, out loud
> 
> next chapter: either tomorrow or Tuesday   
> (灬♥ω♥灬)


	29. His World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sushi contemplates about a dictator

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look guys, it's not from Kokichi's POV!!! (٭°̧̧̧꒳°̧̧̧٭)

Kokichi shook his head. “I have to do this.” He turned to walk away, taking a few half steps, before rushing around and pecking Shuichi’s cheek with his lips. “Thank you for everything.” He smiled, turning to run away.

Shuichi gasped. “W-wait!” He reached out with his hand to grab Kokichi’s arm, but he had missed by feet. It was then that he noticed what Kokichi had in his pocket.

Kokichi was running away with a knife in his hand.

 

* * *

 

 

Shuichi hadn’t seen Kokichi in several days. Every single day, he would wake up, knock on Kokichi’s door, and wait for minutes. Nothing had ever shown. He knew it would happen eventually—he could _see_ it. He would be alone, perhaps. Mourning for someone he didn’t know was dead, until the body discovery announcement played. He would imagine rushing to Kokichi’s lab, where everyone gathered around a well-put-together grandiose suicide.

Despite his wishes, Shuichi couldn’t get his mind off of the thought of seeing Kokichi hanging from the ceiling, torn up with a knife, or crushed by the hydraulic press. However, in every single image he thought of, Kokichi was _smiling_.

Was he truly happy just to die? No, that’s impossible. Dying is never a good thing. Nobody could say that unless something terrible had occurred that meant dying was the only way out—but Kokichi could in fact be like that. For all Shuichi knew, Kokichi had been dying from the start. It wasn’t too far out there, at least.

He didn’t know why, either. He was just terrified for him. He just wanted to make sure he was alive—he wanted to see him again—he was scared—he didn’t want to lose someone else so close to him.

It was at one morning’s breakfast when Kiibo slammed open the door with a fearful look in his eyes. “Everyone, I found something!”

Shuichi shot up with an alarmed expression. “What did you find, Kiibo?!” His breathing began to quicken. His pulse sped up with the nervousness.

Kiibo hesitated before explaining what he had seen. “The rocks that had been written on—do you remember what they said?” He paused. “This world is mine, Kokichi Oma.” Kiibo lowered his shoulders. He was obviously very tense. “Kokichi’s name was crossed out. Not with marker—but there’s a big X crossing out his name indented in the rock.”

Shuichi’s breath stopped. His entire face turned white. Without thinking, he jumped up and dashed out of the dining hall in a panic. He ran as fast as he could. Almost tripping down the stairs, almost falling down as he ran into the grass towards the rock that must give Shuichi a clue as to where Kokichi had gone.

As he stepped up to the rock, he realized Kiibo hadn’t mentioned everything. Kokichi’s name was crossed out with a sort of sharp incision, and he hadn’t spoken of the pair of shoes or the hat. Kokichi’s boots were neatly displayed in front of the letters. His hat—his signature hat that he had found in his lab—was rested on top of the words.

To Shuichi, it was clear what Kokichi had done.

He must be dead—he must be dead. He couldn’t be—could he? Even without truly knowing the fate of his friend, tears began to swell up in his eyes. They trailed down his cheeks like a heavy rainstorm. He stared at the hat, slowly picking it up and embracing it.

“…Kokichi…” He whispered. “…Please… if you’re here—please, just come back…” Shuichi closed his eyes tight and lowered his head.

“Please… I miss you…”

 

* * *

 

 

The next few days went by like a blur. He woke up, ate breakfast, went to his room, and just stared at the ceiling. He didn’t think about anything. He just looked at the ceiling with a blank face. The others had tried to talk to him. He left his door unlocked unintentionally, only for someone like Kaito or Maki to come in and try to talk to him. Nonetheless, Shuichi remained unresponsive, just answering everything with a nod of his head or a small grunt.

One day, Shuichi had forgotten to get up to go and eat. Only about a half hour after the typical dining time, Maki and Himiko had entered with a tray of food. They set it down on the desk next to Shuichi before attempting to speak to him.

“Shuichi?” Maki looked at the detective with sharp eyes. She had spoken in a slightly pressured tone but was trying her best to sound gentle. “Are you alright?”

“…” Shuichi’s head slowly turned to look at Maki. “…yeah…” He mumbled, closing his eyes and looking away.

Maki sat down at the foot of the bed. Himiko sat down in the chair by the desk, which was a few mere feet away. She looked at Maki with a sad gaze. “Shuichi…” She mumbled.

“…Why do you keep doing this?” Maki pressed. “We’re all really worried about you. You’ve been… so different these past few days.” She lowered her shoulders with a deep breath.

Shuichi groggily met the girl’s gaze. “…You’re worried about _me?_ ” He hissed with little force. “That’s… not fair…” He shut his eyes tight. “You shouldn’t be worried about me—you should at least show a bit of concern towards the person who disappeared!”

Himiko lowered her eyes as she spoke. “H-he’s right, but… we haven’t even decided if he’s dead or not. Nyeh… if he’s dead, we may never find the body…”

“He’s… done terrible things. Perhaps it would be better for him to disa—” Maki cut herself off. “No. Nobody deserves that.” She muttered.

“…I miss him…” Shuichi whispered, tears beginning to form in his eyes yet again. “He… he said—I’d hate him… is this what he meant?”

“…I don’t think he is dead.” Maki shook her head. “Although, somewhere… he’s alive. I don’t know if he’s conscious, dying, gone insane… or if he’s plotting against us.” She hesitated to continue. “I just know… he’s not dead.”

Shuichi made a small, sad smile. “I trust you, Maki.” He sat up, wiping tears out of his eyes. “I’m sorry for making you come like this. I’ll… be back to normal the next time you see me.” Already, his clouded eyes began to clear with confidence.

Maki looked down. “You still should try…” She said. With a clear view, she looked deep into Shuichi’s golden eyes. “You should try to find him.”

Shuichi nodded. “Yeah. You’re right.” He smiled as the two girls walked out of his room. As soon as Himiko closed the door behind her, Shuichi’s smile dropped into a sad, confused frown. He shook his head almost violently and grabbed the tray of food, slowly beginning to eat.

It was a warm bowl of soup with crackers. Someone, most definitely Kaito, had written a little note with a thumbs up on the cover of the folder paper. He looked inside of the note carefully as he ate.

_Hey, Shuichi! Hope you’re doing well._

_I just wanted to write here in case I don’t see you for a while. We’re all worried about you and hope that you feel better soon. Nobody’s read this, so don’t tell them._

_I’ve been worried about Kokichi also._

_I feel like shit. I don’t know where he is—but I_ will _find him._

_I’m sorry for how I’ve treated your ~~relationsh~~ friendship with him. I just want to apologize to him. I’ve treated him terribly; but some of it I still believe in justified._

_I hope you feel better._

_Kaito_

Shuichi smiled, setting down the note card on the desk. As he finished eating, he slipped the tray back on to the desk and lay down, sighing heavily with his face to the pillow. He closed his eyes and let out a long, shaking breath. He drifted off into sleep.

 

 

Shuichi reached out his hand. “Please! Come back! We can help you! _I_ can help y—”

Kokichi’s distant figure turned his head very stiffly. His purple eyes were glowing a bright neon. There was a dark, malicious smile resting on his face. He turned around, holding a knife in his right hand and swinging it around.

“Kokichi!” Shuichi ran up to him, ignoring the knife. He embraced Kokichi in a hug, sheltering the smaller boy from the black void around them.

For moments, Kokichi was still.

Shuichi had a sharp pain in his stomach. He collapsed, pink falling onto the floor. He took in quick, hacking breaths, his head tearing up to look at Kokichi’s face. His face, his eyes, his dark smile…

That was not Kokichi.

 

His eyes shot open, his stomach slightly painful. He was sure it wasn’t real pain, though. He took a deep breath to slow his rapidly increasing heart rate, clenching his fist and pounding it down on the bed. The lay is other arm over his two open eyes. His entire body was trembling. Not with fear, temperature, or lightheadedness. He couldn’t quite put it to words.

He slowly sat up, looking at the clock. There was only an hour left before night time. He stood up, slipping his shoes on before heading to his lab. There was nobody around outside or in the dorms. There was nobody in the courtyard or in the hallways. It was dead and empty, and he couldn’t tell why. He stepped into his lab, closing the door behind him. He grabbed the book that he had once read to Kokichi and settled down on the couch.

 

* * *

 

 

_Drip…_

_Drip…_

_Drip…_

Pink splatters scattered across the floor. The walls of the small room and the air around him was damp. He took shallow, rapid breaths that echoed throughout the empty room.

“ _It’s alright, Kokichi…”_ Voice held the knife in his hand, holding it close to his bleeding arm. “ _It hurts for me too. But we deserve it. You deserve it.”_

‘I deserve this…’

Voice smiled, slicing down with the sharp knife against his skin. The rush of adrenaline made the pain numb. He kept going—and going—and he just couldn’t stop until a rush hit his head. He dropped the knife, reaching for the prepared bandages he had set aside to his right. Painfully and carelessly, he wrapped up his entire forearm. The thrill, the enticement of pain that had haunted him for so long… it was perfect for him.

Yeah.

_He deserved it._

 

* * *

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...sorry.
> 
> BUT HEY AT LEAST THERES A PICTURE! what do you guys think? would you like me to make (cheap) mmd pictures of major events from here on? it would only happen every few chapters but hey its cool yknow
> 
> i hope you enjoyed the chapter and im sorry if you cried like i almost did writing it  
> (๑´╹‸╹`๑)


	30. The Other Side

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A detective, a leader, an assassin, and an ideology.  
> One of them comes out dead, the others alive and well.

Shuichi, with the rest of the students, had gathered outside of the dining hall after breakfast in a group effort to find Kokichi. Whether he was alive or not, they were determined. However, most of them were doing it for Shuichi’s sake. Despite knowing this, Shuichi was happy for their help even if they weren’t doing it to find the potentially injured boy.

Kokichi had been gone for 6 days now. Six long, worrisome days without that eccentric supreme leader. Shuichi was dying to find him. He had recurring dreams with the purple-haired boy in it. Some of these times he was attacked. Some of these times he was embraced, only for Kokichi to disappear in his arms. But once, something different had happened.

Shuichi ran up to Kokichi in the black void, screaming, “Why are you so stupid?” Kokichi turned around, clearly surprised at Shuichi’s words. As Shuichi wrapped his arms around him, Kokichi just lay his head down into Shuichi’s shoulder. That was when he woke up. There was no blood, no pain, no malice… Just a boy giving a hug.

“Himiko and I will check the second floor.” Kiibo broke into Shuichi’s thoughts. The robot was standing next to the magician with sympathetic faces. “Kaito and Maki, you’ll be looking outside. Tsumugi, you’ll be checking the first floor.” He paused. “Shuichi, you’ll check the third floor.”

Shuichi nodded. “Alright.” He mumbled, turning to walk away as everyone dispersed. The pain of missing him had begun to fade and had been replaced with a sort of confidence to find him. As he stepped into the third floor, he walked by the three séance rooms. By instinct, he walked into one of the rooms and stood there for moments to enjoy the pure silence.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Kokichi took a staggering breath, his hands held up near his throat. It was burning with pain, but he knew that touching it would make it hurt more—perhaps cause him to breath even worse. He dropped his bandaged arms to his lab, leaning his head back.

After his encounter with Shuichi, he escaped to the room where he had fallen through the floor. There, Voice had clumsily taken back over. The two of them were both controlling the body at the same time.

With Kokichi in the same body as Voice, he couldn’t help but feel different to the other soul. Voice’s presence felt cold and artificial. It wasn’t a physical feeling. It was just _there._ He couldn’t really put that to words.

Footsteps echoed down the hall. Kokichi froze, grabbing his knife and bandages and sliding into the small space under the floor. As he crouched down, he bumped his left arm on a wooden pole that held up parts of the floor. He flinched, covering his mouth as not to make any noises as the footsteps drew closer.

He took a long, deep breath as the door opened. “…Hmm…” Shuichi mumbled. “Not here, either…” He paused, peering around the corner of the wall just to make sure.

Kokichi was dead frozen as Shuichi looked inside of the room. He took in a sharp breath when Shuichi gasped. “There’s… blood.” Kokichi could hear Shuichi walking to the wall where Kokichi had been with his knife. “It’s new.” The detective stood tall, his eyes narrowed in thought. “Kokichi?”

_He can’t find me here. He CAN’T find me here. This is bad—I just gotta wait it out. He’ll leave. He’ll be gone soon. If I can just wait—no, they’re definitely watching. Any sudden move and I’m dead. I should just wait here. If I fall asleep, I’ll be found. Just be quiet, just be quiet…_

And quiet he stayed. For over 20 minutes. Sitting there completely frozen and only taking quiet, shallow breaths in an already cramped place hurt.  Shuichi had stayed there probably knowing that Kokichi might be there. Somehow, he had forgotten about the area beneath the floor. Kokichi assumed that because of how conflicted the detective may be, his analytical skills had dropped.

Eventually, Shuichi stood up and sighed. He walked out of the room. Kokichi waited for about 5 more minutes when he heard Shuichi walk by yet again and towards the stairwell. He crawled out of the floor, his eyes immediately directed towards the small note that lay next to the trail of blood he had left. Kokichi picked up the note and looked out of the door. Nobody was there.

It was no longer safe to be there. Shuichi had seen that he was there. He would be back. He mustn’t return here. Kokichi left the room and slipped down the stairs to the first floor. The voice of Tsumugi in the distance followed by Shuichi’s. He made a sprint for the courtyard, the voices getting closer. He opened the cover to his lab, not climbing down but holding it closed above him as the voices slowly faded away. He peeked out of the cover, seeing the coast was cleared.

Kokichi jumped out of the small ladder passage and made a sprint. The noise of the cover was loud. Too loud. He knew people were going towards the location—Tsumugi and Shuichi, that is. He left the cover open and ran. He ran as fast as he could—faster than he ever had before. Outside, he sprinted down the back paths and towards the hangar. Someone, he couldn’t tell who, but _someone_ was watching him. He could feel it. He ran into the building and towards the electric barrier, deactivating it as he entered.

He opened up the note that he had picked up, slowly adjusting his eyes to the dimness of the hangar. It read:

_Kokichi—if you’re reading this, then Maki was right. You are alive._

_We’ve been looking for you ever since you had disappeared that day. I myself had just wanted to ~~see you ag~~ make sure you were alright. Kaito is sorry, as well. He may not seem like it, but he just wants to help people. He’s just… not a good match for you._

_By the way, I wonder if you’d picked this note up? If that’s the case, then I’ll know you’re alive. After I’d put this down, I’ll be going back to the location to see if it’s moved._

_Please come back, Kokichi. ~~I~~ We miss you._

_Shuichi Saihara_

Kokichi cursed to himself. “Damnit!” He threw the note to his side and reached for his knife—but it wasn’t there. He’d left it in the séance room. “SHIT!” He slapped himself in the face as hard as he could. “How could I be so DAMN STUPID?!” He slammed his fist on the wall behind him.

He stood up, dashing over to the small box in the corner of the room he had placed earlier, opening it, and looking at each of the weapons. He picked up a small weapon.

“I guess they’ll just have to wait and see.”

 

* * *

 

 

Shuichi was panicking. He had arrived back in the séance room only to see that the note was gone and there was a knife and roll of bandages there. Kokichi was here. He was relieved, though. Kokichi was alive. _He was alive._

Upon closer investigation, Shuichi saw the knife had been used. “On what?” He thought out loud, loud enough for Tsumugi to appear behind him.

“You weren’t kidding…” She had the look of cold dread on her face. “B-but… this means that Kokichi isn’t—!”

“Yeah.” Shuichi cut her off. “He’s alive.” He picked up the knife and bandages. “Though healthy, I’m not so sure.”

Tsumugi gasped. “I—I should go get the others! We’ll meet in the dining hall!” Without hesitation she dashed away.

Shuichi sighed, his mind clouded with so many synonymic thoughts. He held the two items and slowly walked down the hallway and stairs to the dining hall. As he reached the dining hall, he saw Maki and Kaito sitting there with pained looks on their faces.

“How’d you two get here so fast?” Shuichi set down the knife and bandages in front of them. “Tsumugi only just went to get you guys.”

Kaito shook his head. “We were already heading over to you—we saw him.” He shut his eyes. “He was running so fast. It was like a blur.”

Maki nodded. “I chased after him—but he was faster even then me. I don’t quite understand, but we both lost him.”

Shuichi clenched his fists. “Where did he go..?”

“Towards the hangar.”

Tsumugi, Himiko, and Kiibo walked into the dining hall. They all stood around the small table where Shuichi placed the items. Maki quickly explained her story and Shuichi began to tell his own.

“I was investigating the third floor—and I came across a room filled with blood. It was everywhere—but there was no sign of a person. However, it was fresh—Kokichi must have been there.” He paused, gulping. “The knife—it’s been used. I… I really don’t wanna know what he did with it.”

Maki nodded. “We should go to the hangar.” She suggested.

Kiibo nodded. “That is a good idea.” He turned towards the door, pacing into a run as he left. Everyone followed.

Shuichi took the lead, the nervousness of confronting Kokichi giving him an uneasy energy. He skidded into the building, not realizing that his heartbeat was getting unhealthily fast. As the others caught up to him he was standing in front of the deactivated electric barrier.

“…He’s in there.” Shuichi spoke.

“What do you mean? How are you sure?” Maki asked.

Shuichi shook his head. “I know he is. I just know it.” He reached to open the door. As it opened, he prepared for the worst. But he didn’t get that.

 

..!

 

Kokichi was sitting far above climbable reach upon the hydraulic press. He wasn’t in it, he was sitting on top of an outcropping of it.

Shuichi gasped, seeing the condition of the supreme leader. His arms were covered in bandages that were falling off. There were visible bruises around his neck as if he had been choked. His hands were battered—and his face was unharmed but _dull_. His eyes were glowing faintly in the dark room. In his hand was a knife. “Kokic—”

“You’re here!” Kokichi smiled. “Hi! I’m glad you were so easily lured in here.” He stood up, jumping down an impossible distance uninjured. The door behind everyone closed. “I’m sooo glad to see you!”

“Where the hell have you been?!” Maki hissed. “We’ve been looking all over for you! It’s been days!”

Kokichi lowered his shoulders. “I’ve been preparing. For this, you know? I’ve been waiting for this day… _I’ve been waiting all my life._ ” He swung his hands around aimlessly. “I think it’s time I atoned for my sins. I’m gonna say everything!”

The aura that surrounded him froze everyone to their spots. Kokichi smiled maliciously as he went on. “I’m sure you won’t believe me—but I’ll say it anyway.” He began to pace around. “A long, long time ago… only a few weeks ago… I was in another killing game. But you were all here! Alive, at that! Until…”

His cold eyes rested upon Shuichi. His frown upon making eye contact became a happy smile as he continued walking. “Then he appeared, and we became such good friends! He wanted me to live—so I did. He allowed me to kill him right here. I crushed him to death with the press. And you all guessed it was someone else. Oh, poor Rantaro… He truly wasn’t the murderer, was he?”

“…Y-you’re…” Kaito choked out.

“Nonetheless, you all died. I won the killing game! But then… someone just had to get in the way.” Kokichi menacingly looked at Tsumugi. “Why not give it up now, Tsumugi?”

Tsumugi’s eyes widened. She suddenly came over with a look of understanding. “What do you mean, Kokichi? What am I giving up?”

Kokichi smirked. “Ah well. They’ll know eventually.” He waved his hand dismissively. “Then I was brought back here.”

Shuichi was staring at Kokichi with clouded eyes. “…Kokichi—Kokichi, what happened to you?”

“…Nothing happened, Shuichi.” He responded. “Nothing at all. This is me. Just me. The _real_ me.” He looked at Kaito, who had been going pale. “Are you alright there, pal?”

Kaito fell to the ground, Maki rushing over with everyone else but Shuichi. “I-I’m fine…”

Kokichi narrowed his eyes. “Kaito, it’s not your turn to die yet.” As Kaito stood up wobbly with Maki’s support, carried on. “I believe it’s time for someone so… terrible… to come to an end.”

Shuichi’s stomach dropped. He took steps forward towards Kokichi, tears beginning to form in his eyes. “N-no… wait..!” He went to touch Kokichi’s shoulder, but Kokichi jumped back.

“Whoopsies! Can’t let that happen!” He cheered. “Sorry, Shuichi. It’s for your own good.” Kokichi turned away from the crowd, pulling out a small bottle seemingly from nowhere.

Shuichi looked at the bottle with fear. That was once in his lab. That was the dangerous poison from his lab. THAT WAS THE POISON FROM HIS LAB.

Kokichi flipped open the bottle. “Bon Appetit!” He smiled.

A surge flew by Shuichi.

Kokichi had taken several droplets of the poison before Maki knocked it out of his hands. The small glass bottle shattered on the floor, leaving the lethal poison scattered in the area.

“W-what… the…” Kokichi’s eyes began to cloud over. He blinked rapidly, his whole body relaxing. He couldn’t move his body any more. He tried to raise his hand, slowly losing the will to move. His vision began to spot as he gave way to nothing.

 

 

 

 

…

…

…

…

…

 

_There’s nothing here._

_Am I dead?_

_…Voice?_

_Voice?_

_…I guess I am dead._

Images vaguely flashed in his mind, slowly connecting to make a fragment of a memory. He saw moments of the first killing game, him befriending Shuichi, and then his death. He wondered what it would be like if Kokichi was the one that died under the press. Would things have been different now? Would Shuichi have repeated the game instead?

It didn’t matter anymore.

Nothing really mattered anymore, but…

Something still made him unnerved. He had such an idea that he couldn’t really put to words before, but now he could. He believed he finally knew who Voice was.

Kokichi Oma, the Ultimate Dictator.

The only reason he believed that was because of the vague words he remembered hearing Monokuma say. Had he always been like this?

Whatever the case may be, he finally found the last thing he ever needed to know. Would he be allowed to move on knowing this? Voice and him—they could finally reunite.

“…”

“…i…”

“…ichi…”

A small white light was in the middle of the darkness. It began to grow and grow… and voices began to echo in his head.

“…ichi…” “kichi…”

“…Kokichi!”

The voices were right there. Everything was white. He couldn’t see. He could barely make out who was speaking until his vision began to take form.

A head was resting on his chest. It was Shuichi. He was sitting on a chair, and he had obviously fallen asleep watching Kokichi. When Kokichi moved even a little, he jolted awake. “K-Kokichi!”

The sudden pressure on his chest was somewhat painful, but Shuichi seemed… so happy. So relieved. What happened?

“…Where—where am I? Am I dead?” Kokichi mumbled, still clearly dazed.

Kiibo shook his head. “No, you’re not dead. You’re in Shuichi’s room. Yours was still locked.” He looked away.

Kokichi blinked, watching Shuichi as he lifted his head. “Kokichi… you’re back… I was so worried…” As Kokichi sat up very carefully, Shuichi gave him a loose hug. “…Kokichi..!” The tears could be heard in his voice. “Don’t… don’t ever try something like that again…”

“…Something like tha—” Kokichi froze. “The… the poison… How am I alive?” His eyes went wide. “How did my plan fail..!?”

Shuichi leaned back. “Kokichi—did you do that all… because you wanted to die?” He was truly in pain. “There… there was an antidote.” He spoke. “It was… in my lab…”

Kokichi clutched the blanket in his hands as Kaito walked into the room. He was attracted in by the sudden surge of voices. “Kokichi!” He gasped. “You’re okay…”

Shuichi suddenly remembered to ask. “Does anything hurt? Do you feel okay?”

“…I’m… really dizzy. And my arms really hurt… and my chest is on fire.” He listed, his eyes trailing down to his arms.

The bandages were gone.

There were dozens of lines on his two arms. Some of the cuts were deeper then others, but there was no pattern and there we so many of them. He closed his eyes, shaking his head with a tremble.

“…Why did you do that?” Shuichi asked calmly.

Kokichi looked at Shuichi. “I deserved it.”

“…You deserved it?” He echoed. “You didn’t deserve it, Kokichi! Nobody deserves to torture themselves!”

“I… I didn’t torture myself. Voice did.” Kokichi halted. “No… He _is_ me, isn’t he?” He looked at the wall next to him. “I’m sorry.”

Maki sighed. “I’m going to go get him some food, I guess.” Himiko ran after her to help. Tsumugi headed closer to the door, looking out momentarily before walking after them. That left Shuichi, Kiibo, and Kaito with Kokichi.

“Voice…” Kokichi mumbled. “Are you there?”

_…_

_…_

It was silent in his mind.

“Voice?”

Shuichi was quiet, watching Kokichi talk to himself.

“Voice, if you’re there, please come out.”

_…_

_…_

“…” Kokichi closed his eyes. “I know you’re there, Voice. I can feel you there…”

_…The docs._

His eyes shot open. Shuichi looked at him urgently. “Well?”

“He’s busy.”

“With what?”

“…Doctors.” Kokichi muttered. A sudden head rush hit Kokichi, causing him to fall backwards into the pillow. “…Oh…”

Kaito and Kiibo both looked at him with words they wanted to say but couldn’t. Shuichi stood up, rubbing Kokichi’s head. “We’ll be back soon, Kokichi. There’ll be food waiting for you. Get some rest, okay?”

The three of them walked out, Shuichi being last. He flicked the lights off and closed the door, leaving Kokichi alone in the darkness.

“So this is Shuichi’s room, huh…?” He closed his heavy eyes in an attempt to sleep.

 

 

 

When he awoke, he realized he hadn’t dreamt. The door had just opened and Tsumugi walked in. “Good work.” She whispered. “The ratings are higher then ever.” She smiled. “Keep up the good work, Dictator.” She closed the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE STORY IS NOT OVER! There is still so much more to write! So many unanswered questions, too..  
> But this is the end of what I call Act 1! There are two major acts, by the way...
> 
> And whoo the first act is done! ahaakjshfkajsdfasdfj im so happy... it's only been what, a month? this  
> story has been getting popular and i can't thank you guys enough!!(∩˃o˂∩)♡
> 
> By the way, have you guys noticed any foreshadowing? (｡◝‿◜｡)


	31. Questions of Another Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kokichi and sushi play angry birds and watch cartoon network. voiceichi is a bitch

“Voice?”

“What’s wrong?”

“You’re being awfully quiet.”

“I don’t have anything to say.”

“It’s too quiet in here, Voice.”

“Then start talking, Kokichi.”

“…Well, what are you up to right now?”

Kokichi was still in Shuichi’s room. The others didn’t want him to leave the room yet—some were still afraid he may hurt himself. The entire room was almost prepared as if a child was living there. Anything potentially dangerous was gone. He wasn’t even wearing his traditional outfit—he was wearing a short-sleeved white shirt. An extremely worried Shuichi had walked in a few times only to see Kokichi was either asleep or staring off into space.

He had always wondered if the TV could work in each of the dorm rooms. He got out of the bed, wobbling over to the couch and grabbing the remote. He pressed the ON button only to be greeted by a bunch of channels featuring none other then Monokuma. He flipped through the channels one by one. Each of them were playing different genres of shows with Monokuma as the lead star. He turned down the volume and just let it play in the background.

“I’m watching TV.”

“I can see you are.”

“…You sound different, Voice.”

“I sound like you now.”

“Why is that?”

“I do not know.”

It was then that Shuichi walked in with a tray of food. He automatically looked over at the bed, surprised he was not laying down or sleeping. Instead, he set the tray down on the desk and sat down next to Kokichi.

“…Hey.” Kokichi mumbled.

Shuichi stretched his arms in front of him. “How are you feeling?” It was only yesterday that he had attempted his _stunt_.

Kokichi rubbed his head. “I feel all fuzzy. That… that poison did something weird, I think… I’ll live, but it’s just… fuzzy.” He nodded his head. “I tried to talk to _him._ He’s—he’s acting different, too.”

“What do you mean by acting different?” Shuichi leaned his head in.

“I can usually…” Kokichi paused. He didn’t know how to put it to words. “I can usually tell when he’s here.”

Shuichi’s eyes widened a slight bit. “How do you do that?”

Kokichi folded his scar-ridden arms. “Temperature. I guess… But he usually announces it. His tone of voice—you know the voice in the back of your head? When you think to yourself. I’m sure you do it a lot. _Yeah_. That one. _His_ tone is usually different.”

“…I see.” Shuichi leaned back, staring blankly at the television screen ahead.

Feeling hungry, Kokichi stood up and picked up the tray from the desk. There was a plastic set of silverware accompanying a pork cutlet bowl. His eyes were glued on the plastic knife. It was right there. It was right there. Right there. He slowly reached to grab it.

Shuichi glanced over, quickly putting his hand on top of Kokichi’s to stop him. “What are you doing?” He demanded.

Kokichi looked at him as if he had done nothing wrong. “…Huh?” He blinked. “What do you mean, Shuichi? I was just…” With his other hand, Kokichi grabbed the chopsticks that were next to the knife.

“…” Shuichi let go of Kokichi’s hand. “…I-I’m sorry.” He looked away with a sorrowful gaze. Kokichi set down the chopsticks and placed his hand on Shuichi’s head. “What are you doing?”

“Soft.” Kokichi smiled.

Shuichi looked away rapidly. “Just start eating…” He murmured.

Kokichi began to eat the cutlet bowl as he watched the Monokuma TV. As he ate, Kaito poked his head into the room and called Shuichi out to talk. The detective stood up and rushed out, leaving Kokichi alone with the television whispering in the background.

At this point, the bowl was almost empty. It was the first full meal Kokichi had eaten since… Nonetheless, he picked up the tray and set it back down on the desk. He wobbled over to the bed, grabbed the blanket, and cocooned himself on the couch.

“Alright, I’ll talk to him.” Shuichi said as he opened the door. He waved to Kaito as he closed it behind him. His eyes trailed over and landed on a bundled Kokichi. He covered his mouth to hide his smile and walked over to sit down next to him.

“What did Kaito want?” Kokichi cast a sidelong glance at Shuichi.

He took a deep breath. “Just… questions. No surprise, though. We’re all… really, really confused.” He gave out a small, weak laugh. “Do you feel like answering?”

Kokichi sighed. “I don’t… really want to keep talking about it. Can… can we just have a normal conversation?”

Shuichi nodded. “Yeah, sure.”

Kokichi’s eyes sharpened, must to Shuichi’s surprise. Kokichi slipped his hand out of the cocoon and watched as small particles trailed from his hand to materializing as a tablet. He thought nothing of it and began to tap around on the screen.

“What… did you just do?” Shuichi gasped.

“…?” Kokichi looked at him with a confused look. “What do you me—” He halted. “Oh. Right.” He looked away. “I guess—I guess Voice isn’t human?”

“Isn’t human… What do you mean?”

Kokichi pouted. “You said we’d have a normal conversation!” He turned back to his tablet and opened the one app that was installed. It was a simple puzzle game with gorgeous visuals that made Kokichi happy just by looking at it. The colors seemed to pop out of the screen. It was lovely.

He beat a few levels with Shuichi watching him in interest. Every few minutes Shuichi was ask a question about the game or try and solve a puzzle himself. Though Kokichi thought they were easy, Shuichi seemed to be having trouble understanding the game.

“You have to think about it without a certain logic,” He explained. The current level was a maze that the cursor moved out from a blank space. Shuichi couldn’t find a way to get through—there were too many dead ends. Kokichi laughed at this, moving the cursor outside and around the map as if it was a glitch.

“Doesn’t that just mean the game is broken?” He sighed.

Kokichi shook his head. “It makes it more fun.” He handed off the tablet to Shuichi, watching him play for a few minutes before getting a sudden head rush.

His skin went pale and he flickered his eyes. Nonetheless, he shakily stood up and limped over to the bed. Shuichi rushed up to help him over, helping him lay down. Kokichi’s hazy eyes and shaky breathing made him look suddenly very sick—but he closed his eyes and quickly lost consciousness.

When he awoke, he was still in Shuichi’s room, but it was dark. He sat up, rubbing his eyes and getting out of the bed. He took short steps over to the door, closing his eyes so he wasn’t attacked by the light outside. He stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him, nervously opening his eyes.

Everything around him was white.

“ _Hello, Kokichi.”_

“Voice!” He looked around. The door behind him was gone. “Voice—where are you?”

“ _I’m right here, Kokichi.”_

Kokichi froze. He was speaking to himself again. When Voice spoke, his lips would move. When he spoke—well, his lips would move.

“ _I see you’ve caught on.”_

“I don’t understand—where are you, Voice?”

“ _I’m a bit mad at you, Kokichi._ ” Voice’s particles began to emanate from Kokichi’s chest. They began to form Voice’s body. “ _I can’t believe you’d do something like that.”_

“…What do you mean?!” Kokichi shook. “I let you say what you wanted—and it’s not my fault I’m still alive!”

“ _You think what you said is what I wanted to say?_ ” He laughed. Despite having a separate body, Voice and Kokichi’s lips still moved in sync when either of them spoke. “ _Those were your own ideas, Kokichi.”_

“W-what? No!” Kokichi protested. “I could hear you—you were telling me what to say…”

“ _I never told you to say anything. Are you sure you didn’t tell yourself what to say?”_ Kokichi collapsed onto his knees. Voice walked over and lifted his chin with his right hand. “ _You said what you wanted to say, and I’m a little proud—but a little hurt. We had a promise, right?”_

“So you’re plan didn’t go how you wanted. How disappointing for you then.” Kokichi laughed in defense. “I’m so sorry!” He added sarcastically.

A freezing hand slapped his cheek. Voice was staring down at him with cold purple eyes. “ _How pathetic.”_ He kicked Kokichi’s chest, causing him to fall to the ground. “ _How fucking pathetic. You couldn’t even die in grace!”_ He kicked him even harder.

Kokichi was coughing up blood. It hurt. Everything hurt. His eyes had been closed shut—so he decided to try and open his eyes. There was a long, casting black shadow behind Voice. Though everything was blurry, Voice’s purple eyes contrasted with the darkness behind him. It swooped around him towards Kokichi.

 

… _Destabilizing…_

_…Reinitiating procedure—3, 2, 1, proceed…_

 

And he woke up.

“Kokichi!” Shuichi gasped. “You were panting—and mumbling—”

Maki was standing behind Shuichi She looked away when Kokichi looked at her with fearful eyes.

“I—I’m sorry…” Kokichi relaxed his hands.

Shuichi’s hand bumped into Kokichi’s. He froze, immediately putting both of his hands on Kokichi’s one. “You’re freezing!”

“No, it’s okay. I’m okay.” Kokichi reassured him. “I’ll be fine. I just need… I just want to be alone now…”

Maki put her hand on Shuichi’s shoulder. “We should probably believe him.” She sighed. “I hate to admit it, but he probably knows what he’s talking about. Let’s leave him alone for now.”

Reluctantly, Shuichi nodded, walking out after Maki. He didn’t say anything—he just walked out with a sad smile worn on his face.

As the two of them left and the one source of light from outside faded behind the door, Kokichi was left in pitch black darkness. He grabbed the tablet off of the nightstand and spent the rest of the day under the blanket playing that one stupid puzzle game—the one he’d been playing with the detective.

Ironically enough, that was the game Voice always played.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> welcome to act 2--we've completely left the canon story behind iN THE duST!!  
> hopedespairhopedespairhopedesyeahno none of that thanks
> 
> i hope Y'all enjoyed the story so far... and i hope you'll continue reading now that  
> everything now is fully original!
> 
> thank you all for your support ! ʚ♡⃛ɞ(ू•ᴗ•ू❁)


	32. Doctor's Note

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kokichi doesn't like the doctor

“When will I be able to leave?”

Kaito was sitting across from Kokichi. Maki stood next to him, leaning on the wall. She had her eyes closed and her face contorted in a frustrated way. She didn’t really seem to want to be here.

“…We don’t know.” Kaito replied with a heavy sigh. “It’s all up to you, really… but…” He looked at Maki as though to confirm something. “…We were all worried…”

“Oh?” Kokichi narrowed his eyes. “I’m touched.” He spoke sarcastically. “If you’re all worried, don’t. There’s basically no reason to.”

“And why is that?” Maki’s cold gaze flickered up from the floor.

Kokichi smirked. “Because we’re not a threat anymore!” He purposely referred to himself and Voice as we instead of I. He wanted to divert the suspicion. He wanted to leave. If those _ideas_ were truly his own, then he must keep true to them, right?

“We?” Maki took a step towards Kokichi. “You still have that… _Voice_ in your head?”

“Oh but of course.” Kokichi shrugged. “I can’t just get rid of him, sorry.” He ended off with a rather detesting tone. He clicked his tongue and looked away. “Not like I’ve tried.”

“…I see.” Maki lowered her head. “I do have to ask, though.” She lowered her crossed arms and stood left-leaning with her eyes confidently staring at Kokichi. “Why harm yourself… to that degree? It looks less like someone who self-harms… more like someone who—”

“Oh god she’s onto us.” Kokichi smiled. “It’s fine! I’m fine now.” He waved his hands in front of him. “Honestly, though! I’m not gonna hurt myself. You don’t have to worry.”

“Worry about what?” Shuichi had opened the door and walked in without Kokichi noticing. “Worry about what, Kokichi?”

Kokichi hesitated to answer. He just snickered. “Answer honestly. Am I gonna hurt myself again?” He hopped over to Shuichi, bouncing around him in a circle. “Am I? Am I?”

Shuichi didn’t know how to respond. “Ah…” He cleared his throat awkwardly. “Well, are you?” He responded.

“…” Kokichi froze. “Y-You’re so mean…” He began to shed crocodile tears. They disappeared as fast as they arrived. “Anyways. Welcome back, Shuichi! To what do I owe this pleasure?”

“Ah… uh…” Shuichi’s face tinted pink. “I was just going to… talk, you know? You’ve been in here for three days.”

“He was just asking us that.” Kaito said.

“Yeah.” Maki nodded her head. “We don’t really… hm…” She trailed off.

Kokichi turned around so that nobody would see his face. He _really_ hated acting like this. All happy and childish. It was all to avoid suspicion. He took a deep breath, turning around with a smile. “Yeah! I’m getting bored here. Why can’t I leave?”

“Well—that’s…” Shuichi mumbled. “How do we know you won’t hurt yourself again? I—I really don’t want you to get worse…”

“…I won’t get worse.” Kokichi stated strictly. “I can’t really go further down then where I was, can I?”

“You’re lucky we had an antidote,” Shuichi clenched his fists. “If not, you’d be dead right now.”

“Hm.” Kokichi looked melancholic. “Something tells me I wouldn’t be.”

“…”

“Anyways!” Kokichi bounced. “Lemme go back to my room! I wanna relax! _Alone!_ And I’m sure you want your room back too, Shuichi.”

“Speaking of which, where have you been sleeping, Shuichi?” Kaito asked.

It was then that Kokichi noticed the dark circles under Shuichi’s eyes. “I… I don’t know if it counts as sleeping. I’ve just been going to my lab.”

“Your lab?” Maki echoed. “That doesn’t seem like a healthy place to sleep long term.”

“Yeah…” Shuichi agreed. “Alright… I trust that you’ll stay… healthy…” He whispered the last word out. “If anything—I mean _anything_ is wrong, then… Please talk to us.”

Kokichi narrowed his eyes. He didn’t really understand the detective’s logic. If he had to talk to them whenever something was wrong—would he have to constantly be engaged in conversation with them. Nonetheless, he was tired.

“Right. I will.” Kokichi smiled. “Thank you for your hospital—”

Shuichi had enveloped Kokichi in a hug. He lowered his voice so only Kokichi could hear him speak. “I know you’re lying.”

Kokichi froze. How did he know he was lying? Before he could reply, Shuichi leaned back and smiled earnestly. He tossed over a set of keys from the drawer. Kokichi caught them and nodded his head before leaving the room and practically sprinting to his own. He opened the door and nearly slammed it behind him, relocking it in a rush of anxiety.

“We’re back.”

“Yeah, we’re back.”

“I’m glad we’re out of their way now.”

“I don’t think we had a choice anyway.”

“I guess so, Voice.”

“Mm. Kokichi. Are you alright? You’re awfully shaky.”

“I’m fine, Voice. It’s just the nerves.”

Kokichi had been accustomed to Shuichi’s clean room and when he entered his own, he had almost forgotten about the various items scattered about his room. Folded neatly on the bed was his traditional outfit.

He was glad to see it again and was even happier after he changed. He was much more comfortable in his usual clothing. He quickly lay down on his bed.

There was something hard under the pillow. He lifted up the soft cushion to see the knife he had cut himself with resting there, almost taunting him.

“Not now.” He mumbled, putting it on his desk and laying back down. As he closed his eyes, he suddenly heard strange voices.

_…Procedure failure._

_Initiate recall._

_Recalling successful._

_Startup in 4…_

_3…_

_2..._

_1…_

Kokichi jolted up.

“What the hell was that?”

“I don’t know.”

“Voice, you don’t know?”

“Nah. I know.”

“T-then tell me!” He demanded.

“I don’t really want to.”

“Wha?!” Kokichi faked sadness. “I’m hurt! That’s so mean, Voice!”

“It’s not mean. Just read my mind.”

“I-I-I-I’M NOT A GLITCH LIKE YOU!”

“No, but you should sti—”

“YOU CAN’T MAKE ME”

“…Sigh…” Voice let out a small laugh. “Alright, alright. Just promise me something.”

“Mm?”

“You’ll sort out our personalities, right? It keeps spilling over.”

“Uhh… Sure.”

“Alright, then.” Voice’s dynamic lowered. “Those were the doctors.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, I’ve mentioned them before, right?”

“What kind of doctors are they?”

“Hm.” Voice paused in thought. “Well, they’re not typically seen here. The others definitely can’t see them. The only reason you can is because you have me and you’re… abnormal.”

“So what are they?” Kokichi repeated. “Who are these doctors, Voice?”

 

“They’re doctors keeping us all stable in this world.” He mumbled. “You’re slipping out of this world and seeing the other.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short chapter--was gonna make one long one but ultimately didn't have time so i just said  
> "eh this is good enough"  
> nonetheless i hope you like this one! kokichi and voice are totally cool :thumbsup:  
> thank you all for your support (◎ヮ◎)


	33. Light Hearted Comedy Without the Light Hearted Comedy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kokichi plays smash

“So what are they?” Kokichi repeated. “Who are these doctors, Voice?”

“They’re doctors keeping us all stable in this world.” He mumbled. “You’re slipping out of this world and seeing the other.” He quickly covered his mouth. “Whoopsies! I’ve said too much!” He took a quick breath before waving to Kokichi and running off to the distance.

“W-wait!” Kokichi tried to run after him but ultimately decided he was too slow. “Other world? Agh, what do you mean other world?” He cursed at Voice. “Fuck you, then!”

And then he woke up. He had gotten used to someone being right next to him when he would open his eyes. He was happier like that. His eyes trailed over to the knife that was under his pillow. He was sure he didn’t put that there—but if not him, who else?

“Oh.” Kokichi grunted. It was probably Tsumugi. He got out of bed and scavenged around his room to see if anything was missing. Luckily, everything that he remembered being there was present.

His stomach grumbled. “…You couldn’t bother making me something to eat, Voice?” When he didn’t get a reply, he sighed and left his room. It was seemingly morning. He had slept through the morning announcement. As he walked to the school building, he noticed something shiny in the grass.

Kokichi walked over and saw an open switchblade. He looked around to see if anyone was there. “This isn’t good to have in the open.” He murmured to himself. He picked it up and closed it, sliding it into his pocket. It wouldn’t be good if another motive came out and someone found that. Then again, if anyone else saw he had the blade he’d be sent back into “solitary confinement”.

He entered the school building, the only noise surrounding him being a light creaking of the floor when he took a step. Kokichi quietly walked to the dining hall, opening it to see every hadn’t even gotten their food yet. He sat down across from Shuichi and listened to their conversation.

“I don’t know… Casinos don’t seem like a good habit!” Tsumugi protested.

“Nyeh… I don’t mind them… But it makes me happy most people enjoy them as much as they enjoy magic.” Himiko yawned.

“Gambling ain’t that bad if it’s in moderation!” Kaito smiled. “As long as you don’t go too far, you’ll be fine!”

“But what about the game room? That sounds like a better alternative.” Shuichi blinked. “Instead of gambling, at least. But that also brings up the question of what we’re gambling with.”

“The game room is nice.” Himiko mumbled.

Kokichi joined in. “The game room _is_ nice! I’ve been there plenty—some of the games there make me wanna cry! They’re… really… hard…”

“We should all go there sometime.” Shuichi smiled. “But in the meantime, let’s eat!”

The remaining students gathered to get their food. As they all sat down, they continued their conversation. In order to keep his sleeves clean, Kokichi rolled them up. He had almost forgotten about the dozens of scars that rested on his forearms. His eyes narrowed a little as he looked back on that day. He didn’t really know if he regretted it.

Shuichi glanced up at Kokichi with a slight frown. He didn’t whisper—he didn’t say anything at all. But he mouthed the words “You’re okay.”

Kokichi nodded, beginning to eat his food. He kept quiet as the others continued to chat about the entertainment around the school. It wasn’t much, but it kept the mood a bit happier then usual. Not to mention the fact that Kokichi _really_ needed casual conversation right now.

At a few times throughout the conversation, Voice would chirp in with sarcastic remarks. The only reason the others didn’t question it is because they really didn’t want a repeat of the other day. Kokichi’s eyes would faintly glow when Voice took over—and when he was gone, Kokichi acted as if nothing happened.

It was more of a cheap trick, anyway. Voice wasn’t going to answer any of his questions and Kokichi won’t answer to any of his annoyances. If he wasn’t going to work with him, then he wasn’t going to work with him.

As they all finished eating, Kokichi leaned back with a long stretch. He covered his mouth with a cupped hand and squinted his eyes.

“I wanna go do something fun.” Himiko pouted. “Who wants to go to the game room with me?”

Kokichi raised his hand and jumped up almost immediately. “Me! I will! Count me in!” He spun to the door and skid around. “Who’s with me?!”

Shuichi stood up with a smile, causing everyone else to quickly join in. Eventually, they all travelled together to the basement’s game room. Kokichi dashed in, jumping on the couch.

The room’s temperature was much colder. Even when Voice was inactive, it always felt like he was _right there_. It was a little unnerving, but he had gotten used to it. Himiko had gone through each of the games and ended up picking out a fighting game that could let all 7 of them play together.

Kiibo had won the first round. Voice was infuriated that Kokichi didn’t win. He took over Kokichi’s body to play the next round.

“Nice to see you all, ladies and gentlemen!” He cheered. “I’m sorry for the lackluster skill of my subordinate. I hope that you’re all as skilled as he makes you out to be!”

Kokichi wasn’t sure if he cheated, but Voice wouldn’t stop winning after that. He got really annoyed at this and forced control.

He jumped up and took several deep apologetic bows. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”

“It’s fine.” Maki shrugged. “Just get another game. I’m getting bored.”

Kokichi nodded, ejecting the disc from the console and skipping over to the games shelf. He went through each game, his finger trailing across the binding of each as he read the title. He froze at the sight of one game’s name.

Trigger Happy Havoc.

“W-What the hell?” Kokichi gasped, taking out the box as fast as possible. For only a split moment, he was sure he saw cover art with Monokuma. But then, in the blink of an eye, it was gone.

“What’s wrong?” Kiibo called from his seat.

Kokichi shook his head. “N-nothing.” He slid the box back into the shelf and kept going until he came across a different style of fighting game that allowed for three against three. He inserted the disk and sat down, handing off his controller. “I won’t play for now.”

_How lame. I was having fun too._

“You were cheating.” He hissed to himself, not caring to enunciate the words in his mind. It was a lot harder to speak to Voice without words. If he thought even one word out of touch, it would come out as a jumbled message. The others had somewhat gotten used to Kokichi talking to himself and didn’t think much of it.

_It’s not cheating. It’s using my resources to my advantage._

“Sure, sure. If your resources count as literally winning every game.”

_Whaaaat? No, no! It’s just a coincidence, you see._

“Coincidence my ass, Voice! You’re a dirty, dirty cheater.” Kokichi smirked to himself. “Why not go learn how to actually play the game? Then we’ll try again.”

_Screw you. I know how to play the game._

“Yeah, sure. _You know how to play the game,_ Voice. Don’t worry, don’t worry.” Kokichi yawned, glancing over to Shuichi who was sitting next to him.

Shuichi was deeply focused on the game. He and Kiibo were the only two left playing. On Shuichi’s team was Kaito and Maki. On Kiibo’s—Himiko and Tsumugi.

“C’mon, Shuichi…” Kaito mumbled. “You can beat him.”

“U-Use your robot powers to win, Kiibo!” Himiko cheered.

Tsumugi was shaking. “D-do your best…” She covered her face. “Gah! This is too intense.”

Kokichi narrowed his eyes. He leaned over to Shuichi and whispered in his ear. “When he’s about a foot away from your back, use the XXY+Up-Dash Combo.”

Shuichi nodded seriously. As he waited for the right moment, he did the combo as Kokichi suggested and won for his team.

“Good game, Shuichi!” Kiibo smiled, holding out his hand. He clearly didn’t see that Kokichi had helped him.

“Yeah, good game.” Shuichi shook Kiibo’s hand. “What do you guys wanna do now?”

Kaito stood up. “I’ll pick out a game next!”

Kokichi yawned, leaning over to his right and onto Shuichi’s shoulder. He rubbed his left eye sleepily and closed both of them.

“Are you—are you sleeping?” Shuichi gasped.

He weakly nodded and rolled up his sleeves for the sake of being a bit more comfortable. “Wake me up when I’m dead or when we’re all gonna die.”

Shuichi blinked. His golden eyes trailed from Kokichi’s face to his arms—and back to his face. He looked calm and almost… happy. Happy to be with everyone.

“Yeah.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> voice is actually just a gorilla in disguise


	34. Recoiling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kokichi and sushi do kokichi and sushi things and choking

“Oh, Kokichi. You’re up.” Kaito had looked over to see the boy’s eyes open as he lay on Shuichi’s lap.

“…Ngh…” Kokichi tried to focus his vision, seeing that he was still in the game room with everyone. “…How long was I out?” His head slowly rolled to the left. Shuichi was looking down at him with a rather curious look.

“Oh. Good morning.” He blinked. “It’s about evening.” Shuichi looked very calm. It was a nice change, seeing as everyone still alive had no intention of killing anyone. It was good—but for how long?

Kokichi was sure that eventually Monokuma would get annoyed of this peace. The mastermind would get annoyed of this peace. Tsumugi will do something. His eyes trailed over to the blue-haired girl. She was sitting next to Himiko and was focused on the racing game displayed on the screen.

He sat up, feeling very refreshed. “I haven’t slept like that in quite a long time!” He smiled. “But now I won’t be able to sleep tonight…”

“Something tells me you’ll sleep fine.” Kiibo shrugged. “You seem to sleep a lot.”

“Well, that’s because of _him_! He keeps invading my sleep and I can’t really get energy with that.” Kokichi shut his eyes angrily. “God, I just wish he’d leave me alone!”

“You can’t get rid of him?” Kiibo asked. “That’s just like my inner voice!”

If Kiibo’s inner voice was truly like Kokichi’s good friend, then they could probably find out why this had occurred—but Kokichi knew they were different. If they were similar, then Kiibo must know at least _some_ of the truth? “Is that so?” He ended up mumbling. “Does your inner voice have a physical form, or…”

“A… physical form?” Kiibo echoed. Now that he thought about it, he couldn’t really put it to words. Kokichi noticed that his robotic face was deep in thought. “No, I don’t think so. I don’t really have… the ability to have… dreams, either.”

“I see.” Kokichi looked away.

“Anyways.” Shuichi cut in. “Would you like to play?” He held out the controller towards the smaller boy with a slight smile. Kokichi realized that they had been playing here for hours.

He grabbed the controller and rubbed his eyes. “You’ve all been playing forever. Why not take a break, you know?”

“I was planning on getting something to eat.” Kaito nodded his head. He looked… paler then usual. He turned and began to walk towards the door. Maki quickly followed, and then Himiko, Kiibo, and lastly, Tsumugi.

However, Tsumugi turned around to face Kokichi. “ _Don’t do anything dangerous._ ” She smiled like an innocent child before running to catch up with the others.

Shuichi blinked, turning his head from Tsumugi to his left, where Kokichi was staring off into the distance with wide eyes. His furrowed eyebrows and slightly shaking hands were a clear sign to Shuichi that something had just happened. He grabbed Kokichi’s shaking right hand and clenched it in his own.

 

_What happened?_

 

“ _She’s gonna hurt me—she’s gonna hurt us.”_ Kokichi’s body was nearly freezing. “ _She knows that we know and because we know she’s gonna hurt us and they’reallgonnaseeitandthey’reallgo—”_

“KOKICHI!” Shuichi shouted. “Snap out of it!”

Kokichi looked into Shuichi’s eyes. He could see the purple light reflecting in the golden pair of eyes in front of him. Without even noticing it, there were tears that had fallen down his pale skin. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry…” He collapsed himself into Shuichi’s chest, his hands tightened around his shirt.

“Are you…” Shuichi paused. He didn’t want to scare Kokichi any more then he already was. “Scared of Tsumugi?”

The smaller boy nodded feverishly. Shuichi tilted his head. “…Why?”

“I—I can’t say…” Kokichi leaned back. He closed his eyes. “ _I would benefit from telling you._ B-but if I do, we’ll be hurt… _At least our fears were shown._ But don’t worry about me… _I think…_ ” He opened his eyes in a grandiose fashion. “ _We’ll_ be _just_ fine.”

Kokichi jumped up and began to stride towards the door.

“W-wait!” Shuichi jumped up as well. “A-about that day…”

He tipped his head back. “What day?”

“The day you disappeared.” Shuichi closed his eyes. “We need to talk.”

“ _Oh._ I… I don’t know what you want to talk about, but… _I’m willing to discuss whatever you want, dear!_ As long as it’s not a lie!” He spun around to face the detective. His attitude, his facial expression, his voice… It was severely different.

“You…” Shuichi raised his left hand and lightly tapped his own cheek. “Did you mean everything you said that day?”

“Did _you_ mean everything you said that day?” Kokichi leaned in and looked up at Shuichi with a short smile. His glowing eyes unknowingly brightened. “I mean, _you said some pretty deep shit then._ ”

Shuichi couldn’t help but flinch. He didn’t really know who he was talking to. At some moments, it felt like he was talking Kokichi, and at other times it felt like he was talking to the _other one_. It was nearly impossible to tell who was who. They were almost blurred together at this point. After seeing Tsumugi and whatever hidden meaning was behind those words had changed him.

“ _Not gonna speak_? That’s sad… I was getting excited.” Kokichi raised and then lowered his shoulders. “Then _I_ will.” He made a grandiose spin, his arms swinging out to his sides. “ _Shuichi Saihara_ is in love with _us—”_ He paused. “With _me_.” He corrected himself with a dark tone. “ _What’s the matter?_ Cat got your tongue?”

“Kokichi…” Shuichi’s voice was surprisingly quiet. “Please… don’t joke about that…”

“ _Eh?_ Why not? _Is there something wrong, detective?_ ” Kokichi hopped over to Shuichi, leaving them only a few inches apart face to face. “ _Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone._ So long as you don’t die, at least. _But something tells me you’ll live far past m—”_

Pain seared in his cheek before Kokichi could register what happens. Shuichi’s hand was raised in the air. His golden eyes had lost their shine and were staring through Kokichi’s. His shoulders were tensed up and his other hand was clenched in a fist.

Kokichi raised his hand to his pained cheek and stared at Shuichi with wide eyes. “…I’m sorry… I’m sorry…” His words were barely more than a breath. He wasn’t crying, though. He was shaking.

“Stop saying you’re going to die!” Shuichi shouted. “You’re NOT GOING TO DIE!”

“…I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I’m… sorry…” Kokichi’s eyes began to normalize. “I’m sorry… I won’t do it again… I won’t die… I won’t die… I won’t kill myself… I won’t try to die…” He grabbed Shuichi’s hand and gave an honest smile. “Really. I’m sorry.”

Shuichi still wore a pained expression, but he relaxed. “I… On that day. I—I meant what I said.” He mumbled. “I meant all of it.”

“…I can’t really respond to it, then.” Kokichi stepped back. “I’ll respond once we’re out of here. Once we’re out of this school. Once… once _he_ is gone.” He paused. “ _It’ll take a while for that last one to happen, dearie!_ Wha?! You’re so mean, Voice! If I want you to leave I’ll make you leave! _You’ll never take me alive!_ ” Kokichi laughed.

Shuichi smiled. “Alright… Then…” He took a sharp breath. “I’ll hold you through that.”

The door behind them slammed open. Himiko was gasping for air. “S-Shuichi!” She panted. “We have a problem!”

“What’s going on?!” He immediately reacted. There wasn’t a body discovery announcement, either.

“I-It’s Kaito! He collapsed!” Himiko sounded extremely frightened.

“He’s not dead.” Kokichi mumbled. “We would’ve heard the announcement.” That seemed to calm the others.

“Then let’s go!” Shuichi dashed after Himiko, quickly caught up by Kokichi. They slid down the stairs and into the dining hall where they saw the others.

Maki was holding Kaito in her arms on the floor. The astronaut was breathing, at least. He was alive. A small trail of blood had trickled from his mouth. His eyes were open, too. He glanced over at Shuichi before speaking.

“H…Hey, sidekick…”

“Kaito!” Shuichi gasped. “Are you alright?!”

“Heh…” Kaito mumbled. “Don’t worry about me so much… I’ll be fine…” He rubbed his mouth. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine…”

_He won’t be fine…_

‘You noticed that too, huh…’

_Of course. I’m a little sad, though._

‘Why is that?’

_He’ll die before you._

‘And that’s bad?’

_Oh, shut up. Of course it’s bad!_

‘Oh is that so.’

_It is so!_

‘…’

_Lame._

“We… we need to get medical help.” Maki hissed. “We need to get Kaito out of here.”

Tsumugi narrowed her eyes. “But didn’t they say we’re the last people al—”

“They wouldn’t pick someone terminally ill to be a savior of humanity.” Kiibo pointed out.

“…” Kokichi looked away. He didn’t want to tell them, but…

_Tell them._

_Tell them everything._

“What…?”

Shuichi looked over. “What’s wrong?”

_They need to know._

“What’s with the sudden interest, Voice?”

_It’s for our own good._

“I—In front of…”

_…_

_Well, that’s a good point. I don’t think she’d enjoy that very much._

“…We need to get out of here.” Kokichi spoke. “I know there are people out there. Don’t ask me how—but I know.”

“Is it what you and Gonta saw outside?” Tsumugi asked.

Kokichi looked at the cosplayer with a cold gaze. “…No.”

_You of all people should know that._

“What do you mean, Kokichi?” Maki hissed. “What are you trying to say?”

“…” He clicked his tongue. “I’ve seen the outside world—but—but I don’t know what anything out there means. _He_ showed me.”

“What’s out there, then?” Himiko grumbled.

“…I can’t really say.” He stammered, trying not to sound suspicious. “B-b-but that’s not because I’m hiding anything! I just don’t know how to describe it!” He took a deep breath. Tsumugi was watching him with a dark glare. “It’s almost like… real life. There were people… They were just living their everyday lives, but…”

“But what?” Shuichi pressed.

“I saw a store. There were Monokumas everywhere.” Kokichi gulped. “And it was filled with… people… and the posters… had people I _don’t where they were from, but I knew them—I knew those people—_ and then I saw someone…”

“Who did you see, Kokichi?” Shuichi’s eyes widened.

“I saw someone we all knew…”

“Who is it?” Kiibo asked.

“I saw…”

“We saw…”

 

“I ~~We~~ saw Kaede.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we're back! sorry for the lack of updates, I'll be busy this week so the next update may be this weekend?? but the school play is coming up and i have to practice the songs (pit orchestra >v>) so uh yeah!!! i hope you all enjoy and stick with the story (๑♡⌓♡๑)


	35. We'll See You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> voice rants

“You _what?!_ ” Kiibo gasped. “But Kaede… Kaede is dead! We saw it… We all saw what happened to her… to Rantaro…”

“That’s impossible! Kiibo is right—we saw her execution.” Tsumugi cupped her cheek and nodded vigorously. “Kokichi, you must still be off from your stunt the other day…”

Kokichi stiffened and looked away hastily. Tsumugi was trying to divert the others from finding the truth. He _needed_ everyone to believe him. He just needed them to.

However, before he could say anything he suddenly lost control of his movements and Voice lashed out. He pressed his left hand to his chest and his right swung out to his side. He leaned forward with a confused expression and glowing eyes.

“ _The hell do you mean ‘off’? I feel like you’d be the one to understand exactly what we’re—what I’m talking about!_ ” Voice hissed. “ _God, Tsumugi! Way to be so damn useless…”_ His eyes quickly faded back into Kokichi’s.

Immediately, Kokichi looked around with an embarrassed look on his face. “Ah… I, uh…” Tsumugi was glaring at him with a look he’d never seen before. ‘I’m going to kill you if you continue,’ she seemed to say. He slowly moved his hand and grabbed Shuichi’s closer one.

“…” Shuichi was staring into the distance. “She’s alive, then…” He murmured. He raised his left hand to cover his own defeated eyes. “Thank god…”

Kokichi didn’t know if Shuichi was happy or sad to hear this. Regardless, he went to touch Shuichi’s shoulder, only for him to flinch away at Kokichi’s touch.

“What’s wrong…?” Kokichi murmured. “S-Surely you’re happy to hear that Kaede is alive?” He knew how much Shuichi had cared about Kaede, but… Perhaps seeing her alive after her death was too much for him to handle.

Shuichi backed away. “I—I need to be alone for a while…” He turned and ran out of the dining hall in distress.

Kokichi back then would probably not think twice about letting him go, but… He wanted to make sure he was okay—but maybe it would be better to leave him alone? He trusted Shuichi not to be dangerous.

It was then that Voice took over once more. “ _But hey, he’ll survive ‘til the end, huh?”_ That was clearly directed at Tsumugi. In that moment, Kokichi returned to his normal self and sighed. “Yeah, yeah, I’m sure he will. _But maybe there’ll be a dramatic change of events!_ You can always ask and get spoiled, you know. Better watch what you wish for.”

Tsumugi was glaring at him still with those same cold eyes.

_Let’s keep at it, then._

‘…’

_You know what’ll happen if you don’t._

‘…Fine, but you know what’ll happen if _you_ don’t.’

“I think we deserve an explanation.” Maki hissed. “You can’t just leave us at that. Kaede is alive, what does that mean? How is it you know that? Just getting a peek of the outside world doesn’t mean you can waltz around a store and find Kaede.”

“Ah, yeah… I guess you’re right.” Kokichi rubbed the back of his head. “Well, the thing is…”

“ _The thing is I showed him myself!”_ Voice blocked him. “ _I’d be more then happy to show you, but oh well… I don’t think_ they’d _like it.”_ He sneered.

…

…

‘Hey, can I have my body back now?’

_…_

_…_

_Not yet._

_…_

_…_

“ _Basically, some sort of weird trippy shit happened after you all died and now we’re here again! Do I know the specifics? No, not at all. All I know is that little change had caused my existence. And then I knew everything.”_

‘Is that true, Voice?’

_To an extent…_

‘What are you hiding, then?’

_A bit._

‘…Fuck you.’

“And why should we trust you?” Maki narrowed her eyes. “You’re not even a real person, how do we know you’re not just something created to kill us all?”

“ _Please, dear, I’ll never stoop that low.”_ Voice chuckled. “ _I just gotta make this little shit suffer a bit, you know?”_

“Your relationship changes a lot, though. Doesn’t seem like you want him dead sometimes. Why’s that?” Kiibo asked politely.

“ _…_ ” Voice paused. He couldn’t answer. “ _I have a few theories on our personalities. But to start, remember the Virtual World? Yeah. You weren’t pretty far off. Kokichi and I are sort of different people—in retrospect. That caused the program to read us as two separate avatars with the same physical data…”_ He wasn’t really talking now, more so just thinking aloud. “ _But we_ are _connected. I know we are for a fact, since… Ah, ahem, nothing. But maybe it’s the personality of one that affects the other? Or an overfilling situation where one rubs off… I—I don’t know, but… One thing is certain.”_

“And what’s that?” Maki asked.

“ _Kokichi Oma will die in this world.”_ Voice finished, relinquishing his status. “Ah, oh…” Kokichi blinked. “I guess I should go, then… Unless you have a question…”

Nobody spoke. Kaito just sighed. Kokichi nodded, going to walk out of the dining hall before stopping himself. His hand lingered over the handle.

_What’s the matter?_

‘You’re a good liar.’

_What?_

‘I know you know everything. The real question is how. I’m going to get a full explanation as soon as we’re alone.’

_…_

_Whatever._

Kokichi left the dining hall and headed towards his room. It was then that he saw Shuichi standing in front of Kaede’s dorm door. He was wearing a solemn expression.

“Hey.” He greeted Kokichi as he walked up.

“Are you alright?”

“Are _you_ alright?” Shuichi responded.

“I’m fine! _”_ Kokichi snapped. “I’m asking about you, dumbass. Don’t divert the question _.”_

“Ah… yeah, just… overwhelmed.” He sighed. “Sorry for running out like that that.”

“No, you needed… uh… whatever it is you’re doing now.” Kokichi lowered his tensed shoulders. “I made her angry.”

“Who is her?”

“Tsumugi.”

“What did you do?”

Kokichi gasped. “Oh, yeah. Uh…” He looked around. “Don’t tell anyone, don’t even tell yourself. If you do, we’re both gonna get targeted. Tsumugi’s the mastermind!”

“I felt like I knew that…”

“But why did I remember hearing that?” Shuichi shrugged. “But… I’m not really…” He paused, suddenly flinching and raising his hands to his temple. “Agh! My head!”

“What’s wrong, Shuichi?” Kokichi tipped his head. “Headache?”

“S-Sorry, what were you saying? You were talking about… uh… what were we talking about?” Shuichi narrowed his eyes in thought.

“You don’t remember?” Kokichi questioned.

“Nah, I do.” Shuichi smirked, suddenly out of character. “I just wanted to see your reaction.” His eyes began to glow.

They turned from a golden to a dark purple.

“V-Voice?!” Kokichi staggered backwards. “What the hell are you doing?”

“ _I’m glad you were so trusting.”_ Voice smiled, his appearance merging into Kokichi’s once more. “ _It took a while, you know?”_

“Well what were you waiting for?!”

“ _The moment when the one person who cared about you realized their primary interest is alive once more. Maybe then you’ll finally realize your own worthlessness.”_ He reached out his freezing palms and grabbed Kokichi’s face. “ _It’s time for you to finally die knowing nobody cares about you.”_

A sharp pain hit his arm. It felt like an injection, but there was no syringe. He suddenly felt numb and lost all movement in his body, collapsing to the floor. As his vision began to blur, he saw a silhouette.

 

‘…Tsumugi…?’

 

 

 

 

 

White.

Voices.

Light.

There was no pain.

No darkness.

Just white light.

 

That was until he heard a voice speaking to him.

 

“Repeat initiation procedure.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cliffhangers are cool huh please don't hurt me (.`･﹏･´.)  
> but don't worry everythings GREAT and EVERYONES GONNA DIE
> 
> p.s. "uso dayo"


	36. It Doesn't Matter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kokichi contemplates about oracle's virtual box

“Repeat initiation procedure.”

Kokichi’s eyes flashed open despite the feeling that he shouldn’t. There was something covering half of his face and allowing him to breath much easier despite the slight pain that came in doing so. There was a sort of device resting on his head. It was a type of metal that was attached to a larger machine a few feet away. As he struggled to move his hand, he saw that he was surrounded by at least a dozen people in white lab coats.

‘…Are these… the doctors?’ He thought hazily as he was injected with another substance. The doctors didn’t really look like a traditional one—no, they looked far more disturbing. Their eyes were cold with raw determination.

“Participant has awoken from the simulation—apparent cause being a forced log out. It was him again, sir.” One of the women spoke firmly. She was typing furiously on a large computer that only processed black and green.

“I understand this is what she asked but isn’t this a little much..?” A smaller woman spoke feverishly. “D-Doesn’t this mean they’re in pain..?”

“You must be new.” The oldest man hissed. “This is Danganronpa. If you can’t handle your own job, you’re more than welcome to leave.” To this, the woman nodded and went back to work. She seemed extremely disturbed, but at what?

Kokichi’s gaze trailed over to a much... gentler looking woman. She gave him a calm smile and spoke softly. “I’m sure you have many questions, but for now, we’ll have to postpone answering them.” She was preparing yet another injection. “My son is a big fan of yours. You both have good characteristics, you know?”

He opened his dry mouth to reply, but all he could choke out was an airy sigh. The syringe that he kind woman had caused him to get immediately dizzy. The woman held a clipboard in her left arm and signaled for another man to walk up and roll a screen over Kokichi’s head. It was a part of the white machine with a large black screen mounted on it.

“Initiating emergency startup in 3…”

“2…”

“1…”

 

The screen above him flashed on, and everything went white.

 

And when he opened his eyes, he was in his room once more. He remembered everything, even if the doctors didn’t want him to.

“…Voice…” He mumbled. “Voice..? Voice….” He kept repeating as nobody answered. He rushed over to his bed and closed his eyes to sleep, but he just _couldn’t_. “The… doctors…”

His breathing began to quicken. His one hand clutched his shirt near his heart—the other gripping his hair almost painfully. Despite the obvious heat that was accumulating, he was _freezing._ Everything was blurry, he was panicking.

“I’mstuckhereandI’llneverbeabletoleave—I’maloneandeveryoneiswatchingandthey’llkillmethey’llkillmethey’llkillme—”

He was full on sobbing.

 

It took him almost an hour for him to wake up from the attack.

 

He jumped up. “This isn’t real!” He gasped, dashing out of his room and looking around frantically for someone— _anyone_ to appear.

His sleeves were rolled up due to the heat and pressure from running. His scars were still there—were there more? Less? He couldn’t really tell there were so many. But he didn’t really care about them. He didn’t regret doing it—he still believed he deserved each and every one of them.

A powerful thud caused Kokichi to fall to the ground. He looked up, seeing Kaito standing above him. “Ah, sorry about that.” He mumbled, holding out his hand.

Kokichi blinked and grabbed Kaito’s hand to stand up. “No, it was my fault for running…” He sighed. “I’m… I’m really confused right now.”

“Huh? Why’s that?” Kaito asked. “We should be happy we haven’t had any killings recently. It’s been the longest time of peace!”

“That just means we’ll get a motive soon.” Kokichi shrugged. “Anyways—that’s not why I’m confused…” His hair dangled in front his eyes. His gaze was forced down to the ground in pure fear of Kaito’s answer. “Have you ever felt that… none of this was real?”

“What do you mean?”

“L-Like…” Kokichi sighed. “Like we’re not actually here. We’re not actually hurt—you know?” He took a long, deep breath. “I’m not going crazy, I’m sure of that.”

“I don—”

“Kaito!” Shuichi appeared from around the corner and smiled when he saw Kokichi. “Hello.” He greeted them. “We need to get to the gymnasium. I don’t know why, but Kiibo’s been asking everyone to gather.”

“Oh, okay.” Kaito nodded and walked off, leaving the two of them alone.

“…Ah…” Kokichi blinked. “I’ll get going, then…” He refused to meet Shuichi’s eyes and quickly hurried off. If he were to stare into those eyes, perhaps they were truly different. Perhaps they were no longer his own.

Without looking back, he dashed to the gymnasium and slammed open the door. ‘Hello, peasants! It is I, the great and lovable Kokichi Oma!’ Is what he wanted to say, but he couldn’t muster up the strength.

He walked to an empty area. Himiko and Tsumugi were chatting peacefully. It was a bit awkward to see Tsumugi acting so friendly. It was creepy.

But what’s even worse is when Tsumugi walked over to Kokichi and stood next to him. “How was it?” She asked very blankly.

“How was what?” He acted.

Tsumugi glanced over at Kokichi, who was slightly shorter. “Don’t play dumb, Kokichi.” She smirked. “You know exactly what I’m talking about.”

Kokichi was frozen with slightly wide eyes as he stared in front of him. “It was terrifying.”

“Oh, was it?” She drooped. “That’s not much of a surprise. How’s the other one? Is he still in there?”

“The other one?” Kokichi stiffened. “He doesn’t matter. He doesn’t matter.”

“He matters.” Tsumugi sneered. “Far more then you ever could. It’s not like anyone cares about you, anyways. Shuichi cares so much more about Kaede then he ever did for you.” She walked away back towards Himiko.

Kiibo finally decided to speak once everyone was there. “Ah… Sorry for calling you all in here so suddenly…” He spoke loudly so that the scattered students could all hear. “I just… needed to say something about my…” He paused. “Inner voice.”

Tsumugi’s eyes suddenly lightened with interest. “Oh?” She tipped her head and hid an overly excited smile.

“It keeps saying the same thing and I don’t really get it—I don’t know understand what it means at all…” He seemed very conflicted about his own absence of knowledge to comprehend.

“Well what is it saying?” Tsumugi pushed.

“It keeps repeating…” Kiibo blinked. “It keeps saying ‘Reconcile’ over and over. To meet, to forgive, to repent… I don’t know what it’s telling me.”

“Then we’ll have to find out.” Tsumugi decided, casting a cold glare at Kokichi. “Is that all?”

“That’s all.”

“Okay, then…” Tsumugi sighed.

“What are we going to do about it?” Maki spoke up. “We don’t know what it’s referring to, little do we know its importance.”

“Of course it’s important!” Tsumugi protested. “It’s his inner voice, it must be listened to!”

Kokichi rolled his eyes and looked away. “Sure… Whatever.” He tapped his foot lightly to hide his own trembling. If Tsumugi is caring so much about this ‘inner voice’ then it must be related to the outside world he had visited for a short while.

“Are you alright?” Shuichi was right in front of him, and Kokichi didn’t notice him walking up. “You’ve been acting strange.”

Kokichi brushed him off. “Don’t act like you care, Shuichi. Recognize your priorities.” He stormed off and rushed to his room. He made sure not let anyone follow him and simply entered his room with a slam.

He curled up on his bed and bit the nail of his thumb.

‘A second world… none of this is real… and Voice knew all about it. But how is none of this real? We all feel things, taste things… Our senses are connected.’

He froze.

‘Our senses are connected. Just like the Virtu—’

He shot up and gasped. “This is a virtual world—and Voice knew that. That’s how he could do all of that trippy shit.” His hand trailed over to the knife that was once under his pillow and now on the nightstand. He held it to his wrist and narrowed his eyes. “So none of this is physical pain. None of this will hurt me, huh?”

With his right hand he held the knife to his left, but he immediately put his left hand on his right arm to stop it. “No, that’s not good. I promised I wouldn’t—No, he doesn’t care about me. I can do what I want.”

And he attacked.

And again.

Once more.

And he bled so very much.

It hurt.

It hurt so much.

But it wasn’t real pain—he was sure of that. There was no reason to care about scars anymore. They weren’t real, they didn’t exist in the real world. Once he was dead, he’d wake up and just continue to live.

But why would he continue to live when there was no reason to?

‘I wonder what DICE is up to. I wonder if they’re watching.’

It wasn’t that hard to connect the dots. Tsumugi and Voice both spoke of an audience and being watched. It was clear that there was a large amount of people watching everyone as a form of entertainment, especially if there were stores based off of it.

And that reminded him.

‘Where is Monokuma?’

He shook his head, wrapping his bloody arms with bandages. Once he was ready, he fell back onto his bed with a rush of lightheadedness. He had bled too much and needed to rest. He closed his heavy eyes and drifted into sleep.

 

When he opened his eyes, he expected to see Voice in the void, but he wasn’t there. It was just an empty plane with his chair and monitor. He sat down in the chair and looked at the monitor, which was just overlooking his room.

He sat there for a few hours thinking.

Shuichi would be happy now that he knew Kaede was alive. He didn’t need to worry about that anymore. Kaito and Maki had each other. Himiko probably didn’t notice, but Tenko and Angie must be alive as well. Kiibo could finally meet Miu again. Kokichi would just be alone and smile, watching them all move on without him.

But DICE was still out there. They were watching—rooting for him—no, it was unclear if they even existed or if they were just an added memory. But if they were real, Kokichi was sure they were disgusted with him for killing in the previous game.

But that didn’t matter anymore.

Nothing mattered anymore.

 

Kokichi woke up to notice he had to change his bandages. He did so cautiously, but not too cautiously because he wasn’t caring so much about wound infections. But now, he was tired.

He turned on the television in his room and sighed.

Yeah, nothing mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wooooo the play is over and i can start making actual chapters woooo and spring break is coming up FINALLY so expect a bunch of chapters then .v.  
> thank you all for your support and ill see you next chapter! !(•̀ᴗ•́)و ̑̑


	37. Patch Up and Repair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> mark and sushi break into kokichi's room

‘I know that nothing matters, so why does it still hurt so much?’

Kokichi was laying on his bed with both hands gently locked on his stomach as he stared at the blank ceiling with a lonely gaze. ‘I don’t really care, but why does it feel like I do?’ His right hand raised to his hair as he twirled in within his fingers. It felt smooth—perhaps incredibly silky. He lowered his eyes. He wasn’t really looking at anything, just staring off into space.

A knock on his door caused Kokichi to slip off his bed in a fleet of surprise. He shot up, rubbing his hit head and limping to the door. He cracked it open, not surprised to see Shuichi standing there. Without speaking, he closed the door on him.

“W-wait—hold on—!” Shuichi gasped from outside.

Kokichi narrowed his eyes. ‘Why the hell is Shuichi still bothering me…?’ He cleared his throat and shouted. “Go away, Shui—”

“I won’t!” Shuichi shouted back. He didn’t sound angry at all. He spoke firmly and strongly, but somehow still maintaining a gentle tone.

Kokichi hissed, walking over to the door and opening the door. He didn’t expect Shuichi to divert his attention from his face to his scarred arms. His eyes widened in fear and he stiffened.

“Some of those are new, aren’t they?” He whispered.

“Nice analysis, detective.” Kokichi rolled his eyes. “Is that all you have to say? If that’s the case, I’m done talking to you.” As he went to close the door, he froze when Shuichi spoke once more.

“You can’t keep doing this to yourself!” Shuichi cried. “You’ll end up causing even more damage to yourself! I can’t—you can’t keep hurting yourself like th—”

“So what?” Kokichi shrugged. “I think we all noticed your reaction to knowing Kaede’s not so dead after all. You’re _happy,_ aren’t you?”

“Of… Of course I am—but—”

Kokichi slammed the door shut and locked it. He didn’t hear any more words from Shuichi. Just a small, quiet sob and shudder before he left. He stood there at the locked door for a few moments, almost waiting for Shuichi to appear yet again.

And almost like clockwork, the door knocked yet again.

“I told you Shui—”

And as he unlocked the door, a large amount of force hit him and pinned him to the wall. It was Maki. Kaito walked in afterwards, looking strangely pale but still continuing on.

“w…what the hell… hell are… you doing...” Kokichi choked out.

Maki mumbled something that Kokichi couldn’t really understand. He watched as behind Maki, Kaito and the now entered Shuichi uncovered his knife and bandages. They signaled for Maki to come over—in which she did. She dropped a pained Kokichi to the ground and rushed over.

He coughed and gasped for breath with his blurred vision beginning to clear. He raised his head to meet the three’s stern yet concerned eyes.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Maki hissed at him.

Kokichi took deep breaths. “You could… have asked… me that… before you attacked…” He placed his left hand on his aching throat and shivered.

Maki held her ground.  “The hell are you thinking pulling a stunt like this _again_? If you end up dying, you’re putting us all at risk!”

“Are you worrying about me?” Kokichi gasped. “I’m truly honored.”

A cold hand slapped across his face. “Enough! Stop toying with us! I don’t care how miserable you are or how scared you are—hell, we’re _all fucking scared_ to be here!” She grabbed Kokichi’s wrists and tightened her grip. “No matter what reason, you shouldn’t be doing this to yourself! Your actions affect everyone here, not just you!”

“She’s right, you know.” Kaito sighed, rubbing the back of his head. “You have no reason to hurt yourself.”

Kokichi’s eyes travelled to Shuichi’s. The two of them locked and stared at each other for a few moments before Kokichi shook his head away with an angered look. “Of course I have reason, Kaito. That’s a silly thing to say. I deserve to be happy, do I not?”

“Of course…”

“Exactly.” Kokichi nodded. “And since I’m quite sure none of you give a damn about my wellbeing—yeah, you guys only care ‘cause you don’t want another trial to happen—I can do what I want for my own happiness.”

“And harming yourself makes you happy?” Kaito asked.

“…” Kokichi looked away. “ _And what makes you think you can ask me that?”_ He paused, noticing the sudden change in atmosphere. “Ah… Uh…” He began to tremble ever so slightly.

It was then that Shuichi walked over. His mere stature and raw intimidation told Maki and Kaito to back away. “None of us care?” He looked down at Kokichi with sheer somberness. “Yeah, right. None of us care. Which one of you is speaking?”

Kokichi’s eyes widened. “Voice… isn’t here.”

“I don’t believe you!” Shuichi replied. “There’s no way he’s not speaking now.”

“But—But—”

“But nothing, Kokichi.” Shuichi turned away. “If that’s how you really feel, then…”

“It’s fine!” Kokichi retaliated. “Go die in this world and see Kaede in the next! I’m sure you’ll be **so glad to see her instead**!”

Shit.

He said that wrong.

Shit.

Shit, shit, shit.

“Ah—That’s not what I meant—” Kokichi jumped up and staggered over to Shuichi, limply grabbing the end of the detective’s sleeve. “I’m sorry.”

“Then what did you mean, Kokichi?” Shuichi didn’t turn around to meet the leader’s gaze.

Kokichi sharply inhaled. “I just meant—the outside world. Yeah. The outside world. If we just—uh, uncover the mastermind…” He had almost said Tsumugi’s name.

“You’re still hiding things from us!” Shuichi shook off Kokichi’s hand.

“…” Kokichi lowered his gaze. “I’m sorry. I can’t tell you while we’re still in this school.”

Was it just him, or was Shuichi… different? Not in a different person different. Just… his tone of voice and appearance was the same. Personality, too. He just couldn’t tell, but something about him was different. Upon closer inspection, Kokichi could see that Shuichi had been crying before.

Shuichi whipped around. “What do you mean? While we’re still in this school?”

Kokichi looked up. “We’ll get out of here—I’m sure of it.” He struggled to give the detective a smile, and it ended up coming out as a shaky neutral frown. “Trust—”

“How am I supposed to do that?!” Shuichi shouted. “How am I supposed to trust you won’t keep hurting yourself?! You said—You said the same thing last time!”

“I…” Kokichi shakily stood up with his left hand firmly placed on the wall behind him to steady his wobbling legs. “I…I…” He placed his right hand on his left wrist, flinching upon the impact’s slight pain. His hand travelled down his scarred arm and back to his hand before clasping them together. “I know.”

“Then why do you keep—”

“Because I can.” Kokichi cut him off. “Look, Shuichi. I know you’re just _trying_ to care about me, but it’s fine. I can manage.”

“But—But I _do_ care about you, Kokichi.” Shuichi shivered. “What makes you think that I don’t? Kaede?” Kokichi nodded feverishly. “Of course I care about Kaede—but I care about you even more…”

“What?” Kokichi echoed. He quickly shook his head.

Maki sighed. She grabbed the knife and patted Kaito’s arm. “Let’s go.”

“But we—”

“But nothing, Kaito.” Maki turned to look at Shuichi. “Let them have their space.” The two of them walked out of the room and closed the door.

Shuichi looked at the door for a few moments before turning his attention back to Kokichi. “I don’t care if you don’t believe me.” He spoke. “But I just wanted… you to know.”

“Ah…” Kokichi gave a genuine smile and sighed. “I’m worth something after all, then. What a drastic turn of events!” He walked up close to the detective and gave him a hug.

 

“Thank you.”

 

Those two words from Kokichi gave Shuichi a chill. He hadn’t expected something like that from the leader. As Kokichi let go, Shuichi nodded with a determined tone.

“We still need to find the other you. He’s not there, right?” Shuichi asked.

Kokichi nodded. “Yeah. I… I don’t know where he went.” He smirked. “He’s probably just scared of me! I don’t blame him, though. I am pretty intimidating.”

“Oh really?” Shuichi narrowed his eyes. “Just knowing he’s out there is… a bit worrisome, really. We don’t know if someone’s going to get hurt because of him.”

“I can tell you with certainty that he won’t kill others.” Kokichi shrugged. “I’m definite of that.”

“What makes you so sure?”

“He’s said it before. It goes against his morals to kill another person.” Kokichi smiled. “That’s why he’ll only hurt me.”

“You _are_ another person, though.” Shuichi pointed out.

Kokichi laughed. “I’m not so sure about that!” He tugged at Shuichi’s sleeve. “C’mon. Let’s go tell the others that I’m not dead.”

“Of course you’re not dead—there wasn’t a body discovery announcement.” Shuichi walked up in front of Kokichi and opened the door.

Surprisingly enough, Maki and Kaito were waiting outside. Maki’s closed eyes suddenly shot open as she was leaning on the wall. She stood up and nodded to Kaito, who was smiling.

“Glad to see you’re alright, man.” Kaito nodded his head.

“We shouldn’t celebrate just yet.” Shuichi warned. “We don’t know if the _other one_ is still roaming the school.”

“The other one?” Maki echoed. “Oh, of course. You’re right…” She fiddled with her ponytail. “I’ve suspected he wasn’t… a person for a while. And if a sadistic teddy bear can appear from the ground and trial podiums can float, I think I’m not too surprised.”

Kaito laughed. “She jokes! It’s a miracle!”

Kokichi looked away, his eyes trailing towards Tsumugi’s door. “…Where is Tsumugi?”

“Tsumugi?” Shuichi blinked. “I’m not sure, why?”

“Nah. Nothing.” Kokichi shook his head. “Let’s just tell the others about the, uh… Possible dangers Voice brings.”

“Right, okay.” Kaito nodded. “I’ll go out first, then!” He turned and walked towards the door.

Shuichi smiled. “Alright.” He waved to Maki and Kaito as the two left. Turning to Kokichi, he spoke calmly. “Let’s go, then.”

 

Kokichi nodded.

 

  “Yes, let’s.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND THEYRE FRIENDLY AGAIN.
> 
> so i was jamming out to takuto's "number two" while i wrote this and it may have affected the writing?? ;v; im sorry if it did  
> thank you all for support, and ill see you next chapter ! ⌒°(❛ᴗ❛)°⌒


	38. Letters Left Behind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> mark and kite-o are mean and kokichi isn't sad

And as they entered the school building, a voice they hadn’t heard in so long resounded through the halls.

“Will everyone please gather in the gymnasium!” Monokuma’s cheerful tone rung in everyone’s ears. It sounded much crueler and more scornful.

Kokichi shuddered at the sound of the bear’s voice. He took a quick yet deep breath and stomped ahead of Shuichi, who made a surprised noise. “Why are you walking so fast?” He called, rushing up next to Kokichi.

“Tch.” He clicked his tongue as a reply. “Are you just pretending not to know, detective?” His sharp words carried an air of emptiness. Those were words that weren’t filled with any sort of malice in the slightest. “We should all be realizing he has another motive.”

“…Yeah.” Shuichi drooped. “But that’s no excuse to give up, right?” A warm smile grew on his face as the two walked.

Kokichi stared at Shuichi for a few moments before dropping his head. There was something about the detective he had enjoyed. It was a slight joy that came with the detective’s optimism—if it were to be called that. Something told Kokichi that his optimism was little more then a coping mechanism for being trapped in this game, but there was no proof that proved that or anything else.

By the time he had almost fully suffocated himself in his thoughts, the two had arrived at the gym. Kokichi swung open the door in one fluid motion and stormed in. His hair covered almost the entire upper half of his face, which wasn’t helped as his head was tilted down.

Tsumugi had been fixing her hair with a small pocket mirror held in front of her face. When she noticed Kokichi entering, she tilted the mirror in his direction. There was a faint light coming from his reflection. As he sharply lifted his head, he could see those glowing neon eyes in the mirror, but before he could fully register it, it was gone. Tsumugi gave him a small chuckle before closing the pocket mirror and sifting it into her pocket.

Shuichi called over to Maki. “Where’s Kaito?”

It was then that Kokichi noticed that everyone except for Kaito was there. He glanced at Maki, who seemed unfazed. “He said he had to do something. The announcement played afterwards.”

“I… I see.” Shuichi nodded. He looked around expectantly before heading over to Kokichi and standing next to him, so close that Kokichi could feel him trembling.

“What’s wrong?” Kokichi asked nonchalantly.

Shuichi jumped as if he wasn’t expecting anyone to speak to him. This confused Kokichi—why would he be scared now? He was fine a moment ago. “Ah… Sorry. My nerves may be getting to me. I’m just worried about… ah, Kaito’s illness.”

“You think he’s dead?” Kokichi asked with a childish smirk. But before he could say he was joking, the door busted open.

“S-Sorry!” Kaito gasped. He had definitely run to get to the gymnasium. Before he could explain himself, Monokuma appeared in the front of the room.

“It’s been far too long, my students!” He greeted them all with what could be called a smile. “Since that last _situation_ has come to a close, I believe it’s time for a new motive!”

“I told you!” Kokichi frowned. He wasn’t excited for this at all. It was actually terrifying, but he knew he would have to place some trust in the other students that they wouldn’t kill anyone else. But he still couldn’t put all of his faith in everyone like Shuichi demonstrated.

Monokuma had been holding a small rolled up piece of foreign-looking paper. He made the noise of clearing his throat, but he was a robot. He didn’t need to clear his throat… did he?

He opened his robotic mouth to read it, but then he snapped it shut and laughed. “The words on this here paper can reveal how to leave my school behind. It’s a well thought out list that holds the key to your future!” He wrapped it up and tossed it to Kiibo, who let out a short yelp when he wasn’t prepared to catch it. Monokuma waved and popped away.

The students rushed over to Kiibo, who quickly diverted to handing it over to Shuichi. Shuichi blinked, unravelling the paper. Kokichi couldn’t see the words yet but Shuichi’s wide eyes and gasp made him even more interested.

“It’s… blank.” Himiko was the first to speak. “So we can never leave?!”

“No, I don’t think it’s that.” Shuichi was deep in thought as he analyzed the blank paper and Monokuma’s words. “I think it’s hinting at something. Maybe we can only see the words with some sort of special light or material?”

“Something you can only get from the outside world.” Kiibo put in. “Or—in this case, something that we have to find in this world… Something that’s hidden.”

“Then we should split up and find it!” Himiko cheered. “Let’s not act so down and we’ll escape here as a team!” Without waiting, she scurried off in a fleet of excitement.

“How eccentric.” Kokichi rolled his eyes, heading to leave. “Well, I know where I’m gonna go look. Good luck to you all, I guess.” He waved to the others behind him as he opened the door to the gym and immediately broke into a quick paced walk.

He hadn’t lied before. There was one place he knew he could go. If not there, only one other place—that being his lab. There were plenty of strange, unexplainable things there. But there was one other place that held out of this world items.

He opened a large set of doors and began to climb the long stairwell. Despite the feeling his legs would give out, he kept going with a determined yet pained expression. And as he reached the top, he froze.

Kokichi was standing right at the doors to Kaito’s lab, but then he realized that he’d never actually gone in there before. There could be anything inside that could … explode? Then again, it’s a lab. He shouldn’t be scared. It wasn’t even Maki’s lab. As he reached for the handle, a voice called out.

“What the hell are you doing?!” Kaito hissed, forcefully shoving his way between Kokichi and the door. “I told you I don’t want you going in here!” Maki appeared next to them moments later. Kaito glanced at her and continued. “You’re too dangerous, and there’s a lot of machinery you can’t be around! You’ll mess everything up!”

“Wh—” Kokichi gulped. “Why?! It’s not like I’m trying to kill anyone! I just wanted to see if there was anything for that stupid golden paper!”

“We can look ourselves.” Maki grabbed the door handle and helped a pale Kaito in. “Go look somewhere else.”

“I was here first, though!” Kokichi gasped. “It’s not fair, huh?! I’ll let you into my lab if you want…!” The two of them began to ignore him. He clicked his tongue and slightly bit down on it. “You’re so… so… damn annoying! God, I can’t get anything done because of your damn ego!” He stormed off in a fit of fury.

Then there was the second place he could go: his lab. Holding his left arm in his right, he melancholically walked down the steps and to the courtyard. He lifted the cover and yawned, climbing down the ladder. At the bottom, he hopped down in an extravagant way. There was the faint sound of footsteps growing louder. He was almost expecting someone to have entered his lab.

“Hey, Shuichi.” Kokichi smirked. “I’m assuming you were looking for little ol’ me?”

 Shuichi smiled. “Sadly, no. I was going to look around your lab for anything, but I figured you wouldn’t like me going through your stuff…” He covered his mouth. “ ~~But I would always like to see you, Kokichi.~~ ”

“Speak up?” Kokichi tilted his head. “You can’t just mumble out on me now.”

“Nothing.” Shuichi stammered. “You rushed out pretty fast. Where did you go first before coming here?”

“Kaito’s lab…” Kokichi murmured. “But he kicked me out before I could even enter.”

“I wonder why.” Shuichi smiled. He patted Kokichi’s shoulder as he walked by. “I’m gonna go ahead. Good luck looking!”

“Y…Yeah…” Kokichi frowned. “Bye.”

He was sad to see the detective go, but he’d see him soon, right? Yeah, definitely.

He entered his lab and took a nice breath of dust filled air. The pile of miscellaneous items were still there. The boxes were overflowing with what may just be garbage. He didn’t want to fully consider it that yet, though.

As Kokichi sat down on the cold floor next to the boxes, he realized that he had no idea what sort of idea he was looking for.  This item had no clues except for it being from the outside world. Rubbing his hands together, he gave a childish smirk.

“Let’s do this.”

As he sorted through the first box, he noticed that he was thinking as if someone was listening. He didn’t know where Voice was, but he was gone. That much was certain. If everything here was made by a program, then that’d mean Voice was a program.

He violently shook his head. Kokichi did not want to waste any more of his time on Voice until he was right in front of him. If he were to become a better person, he would need to grow. Lingering behind with that fool of a personality would only trap him forever.

“But I’m the one that has to deal with it, right?”

He nodded to himself, flinging a small female button-up shirt to the side from the box. The next item of the third box he had gone through made him freeze. It was a letter. But this letter was written for someone. The person’s name was written in fine ink on the front.

 

_Rantaro Amami_

He opened the letter and began to read.

 

_Dear Rantaro,_

_I’m writing this to you because Team Danganronpa had prepared a new motive. So if you’re reading this, I’m glad you’re still alive and got my letter! We’re all very proud of you for surviving this far. I hope you’ll win again! But enough with that. There were a few things I almost needed to tell you.  I’ve been watching this season. There seems to be something wrong with Ķ̵̨̧̡̨̡̧̨̧̢̧̧̧̨̨̨̢̡̡̧̗̟̦̭̪̠̼̗͍͍̤͓̭̫̗͎̘͔͖̹͇̮̥̤̗͇̻̪͎̰̳̠̤̜̰̤̗̩̭̼̮͍̠͍̫̗̳͓̮̺̳̝̤̣̻̖̣̣̥̟̲̞͉̺͈̯̯͚͎͈͍͔̼̝̖̖͇͎̟̲͔͙̼͎͈̜̤̺̯̯͖̭̪̻͓͖̜̯̺̻̪̻̙̜̮͎̱̮͖̣̳̯͖̞̬̳̤̫̯͇̱͈̞̳̥̼̙̫̝͍̟̥̠͎͈̯̗̩͉͚͎̘͖̞̦̭̳̊̐̐̍͆̎̌͑͌̎̐̅̀͐̕͘̕͜͜͜͜͜͜͜͠͝͝ͅͅͅǫ̶̢̧̢̧̧̢̢̨̡̨̨̛̛̤̪͈̼̠̗̤̠̪̖̬͓͔̖͕̤̼̝̲̲̭̬̤̠̺̜͕̘͔̼͚̝͔͖̟͈̲̙͍̗̹̪̟̭͕̦̟̖̱͔̟̙̘͈̪̻̤̘̰̳̘̤͚͙͖͎̩̺̭̝̙͈̹͈̫͈̙͍͇̜̣͇̖̹̹͍̦̟̺͙̥̤͇̞̜̹̠̞̹̬̩̝͈͎̰̦͎͚̤̮͇̼̭̠̘̮͎̰̬̖̪̓̍̈̅̉̎̍͒̾̓̈́͊͌̋͆̏͊͑͗͐͂̀̃̉̈͗̃͂́̾͛̈͒̂͐̾̇͗̔̃͂̒͂̂̈́͛̍̓̉̆̉̒̽̑̈̋̄̃̐̽̈́̈̐̌̎̈́̓̆̀̑͊̏͊̋̓̓̊̾͗́̈́̓̈́̇̃̈̆̊͒̑͂̂͛̍̈̾̔̿͗͗̍̀̔̇̆̾̈͗͘͘͘͘̚͘̚̚͜͜͝͝͝͠͝ͅͅͅͅ, and it seems that nobody in the game has noticed. But the audience—they’re talking about it a lot at school—they adore him. He’s the most popular of you all, and even if this is your second game, it makes me a little sad they don’t give you any more attention. Anyways, I think you should stay away from him. Any longer he’s alive and Ǩ̷̯̹̉̓̍͐̊͐̐̈́̓̆̔̽̿̄͑̌̈́̑̉̈̄̂͊̍̚ö̶̧̧̡̘̦̮̟̦̦̬̲̥̥̠̺̯̦̠̳̜̥̬͈̩͔̰̮̃͒̓̔́̿̋̾͘͜͝͝͝ͅk̷̨̤̠̺͖̺͇̞̰͕̖̙̆̆̄̉̽̒̾̌͌̆͛̔̍͆̋̔͋͊̇̈́́͘͘̚͜i̷̤̝͚̙̙̞̞̩̱͚͇̩͖̼̪̥̐̋̇̈́̑͌͌̐̆́̊̄̆͌̇̾͘̕͝č̸̨̛̦͖͓̰͚̞̔̇̈́̊̋̏̈́̂̓̆͆͘̚͝ḩ̷̨̨̪̘̺̥̲̠̱̠͈͈̞͖͎͓̫̳̟̳̻̱͍̊͗̀̄͠i̵̮̟͉̪̤̱̞̩̘̳̝̦̫͗̽́̽̇̌̓́͌́̅̈́͊͊̀̕ͅ ̷̢̨̡͓̘̬͖̙̙͙̞̳̘̤̗͓͙̣͇̪̠͕̙̉͂̓́͂̔̏͐͗͆̂̏̿̓̔̐ͅw̵̡̗̣̘͙̻̫͎͔̗̦̯͎͙͍̼̮̗̗̟͌̈́̓̽͌̓̄̆͝ĭ̴̛͙͇̬̅̀̀̐̆̅̓̆̄̏͛̓̕͝l̸͍̥̲͖̮̐̑͝ļ̶͇̦͎̩̝̠͚̜̜̹̥̯͔̖͈̯̯͊̌̏́̓̓̌́̊͑̽̔̐͐̊̾͛͘̚̕͝͠ ̸̡̨̨̹̬͖̙̟̝̬̱̩̮̜͇͚̱̻͍̞̗̠͈̈̅̈̃́̾̔͒͛̈́͑̍̎̃́̆̚͝͝f̵̨̨̛̳̰̣̪̞̦̻͙̤͕̫̮̤̼̪̗̥̬̲͕͈̳̝̓̒͋̄̍̂͂̿̆͌̂̃̅̑̒̉͆̈́̅̽́͘̚̚͜ṛ̶̢̛̯̳͔̗͍̱͉̤͙̀̋̄̒͗̇̓̉̑̾̉̈́̇͛̐̕͘͠͝͝ͅa̴̢̨̨̫̺̫̬̱͚̹͇̓̀̊̑̐̍ͅm̴̢̖̣̠̖̙̳͇͐ḙ̴̖͈̼̥̲̪̰̗̯̺͇̙͖͓̻̫̲̭̱̤͇̘͚̜̣̤̃̇͐͋̊̑͆̾̄̕̕̕͜͜͝ͅ ̸̨̢̡̼̩͙̳̯̼̤̼̫̝̩͓͖̞̯͇̳̼̠͍̝̹̲̈́̀̆̊̍̊̒̿̋͛̋͛̽̃̾ÿ̷̨̧͔͔̬̦͉̩͎̭̺̤̥̟̦͉̩̱̜̩̝͇̩̥̬̠̿̂͑͌͋͘ō̸̧̡̪͖̠͚̹̩͎̺̗͕̠͎̠̝̼͋́̒̒̈́̌̓̇͗̏͝ȕ̶̡̳̬͔͉̤͎̪̠͙͓̬̼͙̦̖̪̳̘̩̜̗̪̯̟͖̱̜̖̽̃̓̂̑̈́̑̉̄̐̑̐̉͌ ̴̛̭̈̀́͋̀̉̄̾͋̉̀̿̈́̚̕f̴̨̡̢̢̹̝̹͉͚̦̰̹̮͕͕̹͌̓̏̏̏̋̐̂̄̇́̊͌̑͆͜͝o̷̳̝̜̬̒̊͐̍̆͝r̶̛̖̺̞̘͐̀̆̓̆̀͑́͗͐̒̚̚͝ͅͅ ̸͚̥̯̩̺̗̥̪̞̰̼̮͇͖̺͂̀́͘͜͜͝m̶̢̡̞̙̱̳̺͚̠̞̭̞̙͔̫̊̑͛́͂͗̈́̉̒̋̐̒̇̒͂͆̚͜͝͠͝͝͝ͅͅự̶̢̟͙̗͔̗̤̲͍͇̻͇̫̙̰͉̫͔̓̋͛̆̒͐͆́̏̏̅̋̈́̃̆̌̎͘͘͝r̴͇͕͔͓̆̾̎̄͊̈́͠d̷̢̢̗̞̫͓̞̯͕̺̩̰̭̻̤͉͇͎̼̤̺̪͑͌͒͛̌͋̈́ẻ̶̡̢̡̡̳̘̺̥͙̲̙͕̙̭̦̗͎̥͔̱͐̀͗̅̔̊͌̉̒̐͋͌̏̈́̾͂̂͜ṟ̵̨̪̦̳͖͙̲̄͐̊̈̽̇̓̇̽̏̂̃̅̿͜͜͝.̷̧̡͉̘͉̤̱̳̬͚͎͖̣̯͍̣͓̟͙̙́̾͆̓̍̎̊͊̆͛̈̆͘͘͜͝͝͝._

_Good luck, big brother!_

_Ranko & Your Sisters_

There were several things crossed out with ink, but that wasn’t the major problem. Kokichi had assumed that the letter was meant to be another motive in the previous game that had never been used. Or perhaps it is because Kokichi had won the game before they were released. Nonetheless, there was a problem with this.

Why was the letter here?

Who is Ranko? Have they reunited with Rentaro?

What was it that was crossed out?

But most importantly, Rentaro had gone through the game twice. Voice had hinted at this before, but this confirmed it.

Kokichi peered back into the box, where there was only one item left. It was a clear bottle of ink. “This is it.” He smiled. “I’m sure of it.”

He stood up and dashed out of his lab. He had found it! He had found what they needed and was finally useful!

He left the underground area and closed the cover, dashing towards the gymnasium where he was sure _somebody_ was. That was when he bumped into Shuichi yet again.

“Where are you going right now!?” Kokichi beamed. He didn’t even wait for Shuichi to reply before showing him the ink and letter. “We need to get everyone! Go to the gym and wait there!”

 

He spun around, taking not even one step before the announcement alarm rung.

 

He had never been so much more frightened to hear Monokuma’s chilling, robotic voice over the already sharp loudspeaker. It resounded throughout his mind as it spoke just like Voice when he had fought for control over his body. But the words that came out made him stumble back into Shuichi’s arms.

 

“A body has been found! Please gather in front of the Ultimate Astronaut’s Lab!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DONT HURT ME THANKS
> 
>  
> 
> but lucky for you, dear reader! ill update tomorrow I SWEAR. i hate cliffhangers like this :(  
> I̸͓̖̲̺̱̥͈͛͒͋̍̾͗ͅ ̴͍͐̿̔̔̿͊h̵͉͍͚̫̍̿o̵͔̘̩̪̠̭̼͊͑͛̅͛̕p̵̧̯̲̫̜̜͍̜͑͂̾ȇ̶̖̖̌͆ ̷͔̖́͋ẏ̵̨̫̻̜̘͒͑̄͛̕͜͝o̴̼̖̱͌̓͒̽̔̐̔̌ͅǘ̸̗̣͇̤͖̈́̎̚ ̵̭̣̑͋̐ͅë̶͙̠̝̳̝̟͈͇́̎͐n̷̬̭̭̞̜͖̓͊́ͅj̶͕̣͌͂̔͜o̷̢͚̟͉̜̯͍̾̃͛́̑̋̚͠y̸̛̻̓̈́̀̓̚͠!̵͖̞̺͇̟͈͗̐͐̍̿͝͠; (๑ゝω╹๑)


	39. Because of You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> mark sad and kokichi evolves into coach-E

Kokichi almost passed out.

Another murder.

Another ~~one of his friends~~ survivor is no longer alive.

‘No, that’s not right.’ Someone had been given the golden chance of leaving this world and moving onto the next. Someone else had left before him.

With Shuichi dead on his trail, Kokichi ran up the steps to Kaito’s lab, joining up with Kiibo on the way. As they stepped up to the top, he saw exactly what he expected to.

Maki was sitting on her knees with a drooped head. This was the first time Kokichi had seen her crying like this. She looked defeated, when not even a morning had passed since he had seen her as terrifying as ever.

His gaze rapidly travelled from Maki’s face to Himiko’s tears, to the trail of blood, to Shuichi—then to the body.

Her arms cradled around the body of Kaito Momota, Luminary of the Stars. There was a large amount of blood on his chest. He had finally succumbed to whatever terrible illness he had gotten.

As sound faded around him, all of the other students had broken down into sobs and crowded around Kaito’s still form. Kokichi, however, stayed still with a calm facial expression. No tears formed. He wasn’t even shaking, which he does for lighter things then a ~~friend’s~~ death.

He broke the silence with two kind, honest words.

“Good luck.”

Kiibo looked up first. He couldn’t cry, but his eyes showed everything. “What? Good luck with what?”

Kokichi blinked, shaking his head and kneeling down. “In a way, I envy his fate. He’ll be able to see them all before me… and he’s no longer trapped here like us.”

“DO YOU HAVE ANY RESPECT?!” Maki shouted. Her rage-filled voice sent chills up Kokichi’s spine, causing his calm composure to fracture. “Kaito is dead—the least you could give him is the respect he deserves after he passes!”

He wanted to reply with ‘you’re an assassin, how do you know how to understand feelings like that?’ but he couldn’t. Instead, he spoke on the verge of a whisper, just barely loud enough for anyone to hear. He spoke cautiously as he didn’t want to anger Maki any more. “Kaito isn’t gone forever. Once we’re in that world, you can see him all you like. I have a feeling that _illness_ of his was only programmed into—”

Monokuma appeared then. He seemed to be deep in thought, staring down at Kaito’s body and then up at Maki. “How strange! You all already know the cause of death and the murderer… so how will we proceed? We’ll still have to hold a class trial to see if you’re right, though…”

“Are you hinting at something?” Kokichi asked with narrowed eyes. “Kaito _didn’t_ die from his illness?”

Monokuma laughed sadistically. “We’ll see, won’t we?!” He waved. “So long, my dear students! I will see you at the next trial!” With those words, he disappeared.

“…He did die from his illness.” Maki murmured. “I know that for a fact.”

 “Then what’s the point of another trial?” Himiko muttered.

Kokichi looked around, specifically at the corners of the wall and around the ceiling. There weren’t any visible cameras, but he was sure they were being watched by hundreds—thousands—millions of people right now. “For views.” He answered bluntly.

Yet nobody replied.

Kokichi stood up. He began to walk away. He shouldn’t be there any longer. He _couldn’t_ be there any longer.

 

He wasn’t good enough to be with the others at their worst point.

 

He took light steps down the spiral and opened the door to the hallway, closing it behind him with a sigh. His pale skin began to regain its color and it was then he realized he was holding his breath. “Deep breaths…” He hissed to himself.

It was quiet.

_Too quiet._

A lingering shadow stretched from across the hall. Kokichi froze, the only thing him being able to move was his fearful set of eyes shakily travelling over to the source.

“ _It’s been far too long, Kokichi.”_ Voice smiled.

“Voice!?” Kokichi sharply jumped back. “Where did you—Why are you still here?!”

“ _You’re funny.”_ Voice tipped his head. “ _You think I’ll leave? Say, how did Kaito move on? He died, right? Then I guess the only way for me to leave is to die as well.”_

“So you’ll do me a favor and kill yourself.” A smirk creeped across Kokichi’s face. “After all the shit you’ve put me through, you can at least do that, right? Not like you’d be dying anyways.”

“ _Oh my sweet, sweet Kokichi.”_ Voice cooed. “ _I hope you haven’t forgotten my goal.”_

“Sorry to tell you, Voice, but I don’t need to atone for anything.” Kokichi retaliated. “Unlike you, I have someone who cares for me. And they know what I did. They know I feel remorse for it—I don’t need your approval!”

“ _…Is that so?”_ Voice looked away. His eyes began to dim in disappointment. “ _That’s a shame. It really is a shame.”_

“And why is that?”

“ _…I’m sure Kaito will be glad Maki is still alive. I hope nothing happens to her. Truly.”_ Voice began to fade away. “ _I’ll see you later.”_

Kokichi roared. “DON’T JUST FUCKING DISAPPEAR WITHOUT EXPLAINING TO ME, ASSHOLE!” But it was in vain. “AND DON’T YOU DARE KILL ANYONE ELSE!”

 

“Oh. He’s gone.”

 

 

“Shit.”

 

Kokichi sat down on the floor next to the doors, retreating to the shelter of the wall behind him. He covered his face and shivered.

Kaito was dead.

Kaito was dead. Kaito—was not dead.

Nobody really believed him.

Shuichi probably came the closest to doing that though. He at least gave him trust and believed what he said. He was happy with that, too. He may not have noticed it, but Shuichi’s trust in Kokichi kept him in that world.

But then there was Kaito, who was on the other side of the spectrum. He didn’t trust Kokichi, and Kokichi didn’t blame him for that. Voice made Kokichi a terrible person. He’d brought far too much attention to himself. It’d be best to lay low.

But he was sad—he did not know why. Kaito was gone, but he wasn’t _dead_. They’d all see him eventually. They just have to –

No.

He mustn’t think of that. He _mustn’t_ think of anything like that.

The door next to him opened, causing his head to shoot up from its place rested in his knees. It was Maki.

“W…Why are you here?” She acted as strong as she could to intimidate the leader, but it was obvious that was a lie.

“I…” Kokichi rested his head back down. “I just needed to be alone.”

Maki opened her mouth to speak but sighed instead. She sat down next to Kokichi and stared at the ceiling.

Kokichi glanced at her melancholic stature. “I told you, didn’t I? Kaito isn’t dead. He’s just… gone.”

“…” Maki closed her eyes. “You… Have no idea how much I want to punch you right now.”

“Why?”

“You’re doing a very, _very,_ bad job of trying to cheer us all up.”

Kokichi blinked. “I’m not trying to cheer you up. I’m being serious.”

Maki lowered her head. “Kaito is dead. He… told me something… and I know it’s…” She was on the verge of tears once more. “He told me to live on—not as an assassin—but—”

“But he’s not dead!” Kokichi pressed. “Why can’t any of you believe me?!” He whipped his head around, so the back of his head was facing Maki. “Besides, it’s not like he’d want you to think he’s dead.”

“…I give up…” She sighed. “Please explain…”

Kokichi smiled. Maki was finally willing to listen to him, despite the strange input to getting there. It was progress, but still…

The way they had gotten here was depressing.

He had to start from the beginning. Killing them all. Everyone guessing Rantaro incorrectly, and everyone dying. Waking up yet again, Voice appearing to atone for Kokichi’s sins, the Virtual World, Voice’s involvement… Taking over his body, his attempt to die, and his disappearance—but he left out what had happened moments before. It was too soon.

“This world—none of it is real.” Kokichi said. “When we die here, we’ll wake up out there. Remembering anything… I don’t know. There’s no other explanation.”

“…” Maki’s eyes were wide. “How did you… know this? Voice said this all?”

“That and I figured a bit out.” Kokichi laughed. “He speaks in riddles. It gets so annoying! I hate it how he’ll never actually talk to me… but… he _is_ me.”

“That says something in itself, right?” Maki pointed out.

“Yeah…” Kokichi shook his head to clear his thoughts. “Well, Kaito is alive. That’s all. You shouldn’t mourn too hard. I get it’s tough having the corpse of your loved one right there.”

“He’s not—”

“Right, whatever.” Kokichi changed the topic. “I really… don’t trust her though.”

“Huh? Who?”

“Tsumugi…” He bit down on his thumb in frustration. “She’s trying to get me to do something, but what? Murder, maybe?”

“Tsumugi?” Maki repeated.

“Mhm.” Kokichi opened his mouth to continue, but the dreaded call echoed through the halls. “I guess we have to go, then.”

“This is a waste of time.”

“I agree. But… maybe there’s something that has to happen here.” Kokichi stood up. “We have to find it. We _have to. I won’t take failure as an outcome. That’s not how I roll._ ”

Maki stood up and nodded. “Then let’s wait for the others here and go.”

Kokichi looked back at Maki and smiled. “You’ve really changed, Maki.”

Her reply was a short, surprised breath. She paused for a few moments before speaking. “I think you’ve changed for the better as well. We both have.”

 

“You’re right, Maki.”

 

‘We both have.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shdfkgljsg,jsdklsdjgsdjfghdfg  
> YEEHAW WE'RE ROLLING
> 
> kaito is dead! but hes not?? and kokichi has to play the smart one because  
> he has no emotional stability in mourning!!! yeaheahH SaDNESS!
> 
> i hope you've enjoyed and ill see you next chapter ⊂((・▽・))⊃


	40. So Thank You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kokichi, mark, sushi, and robocop talk about kite-o

The announcement had played once more, and the students had gathered in front of the Shrine of Judgement. Steady breathing filled the area—they were prepared.

Kaito was dead, and they knew why. But only Maki knew what happened to him before this revelation. She didn’t say anything. She kept silent.

As the elevator opened up, everyone stepped inside. It was as empty as ever. He and Maki had met up with the others when they left the large, monochromatic doors.

Kokichi was standing very close to Shuichi with is hand grasped around the detective’s sleeve. To his surprise and general happiness, Shuichi seemed to be dealing with the loss of a good friend better then the rest. Perhaps it was because he trusted Kokichi and his words. Perhaps it was just to seem strong for Kokichi when he so desperately needed it.

Shuichi never understood why when Kokichi “held” his hand, it was actually his grasp on his sleeve. Even when Kokichi hugged him, he was touching his clothing—or hair, in that case—but never his skin. When Kokichi would sleep on him, he would _still_ never physically touch his skin.

In a gambit, Shuichi slowly reached to grab the hand on his sleeve. What he expected turned out to be nothing more than a fantasy.

Kokichi’s hand was _freezing cold._

The leader took a sharp inhale, which ended up resounding around the elevator as it descended. His widened eyes stared at Shuichi for not even a second before he shook his head away, moving his hand back up to Shuichi’s sleeve with a pout.

Shuichi blinked, then sighed. The large doors opened yet again, draining out the students from the elevator and into the Trialroom. Everyone stood at their podium without speaking.

 

Monokuma jumped up from behind his podium. “Welcome, my students!” The robotic charade was getting old at this point. “Happy day, happy day! It’s time for another trial! Hooray!”

Shuichi cleared his throat and began to speak. “Ah… Right. The victim is Kaito Momota—but—” He shuddered. “We already know why he’s dead. Why is there a trial for something we already know?”

“Oh, you don’t know?” Monokuma gasped. “I haven’t prepared this trial for _that._ Well, sort of.” He giggled rather darkly. “Kaito Momota had died due to his ‘terminal illness’, yet if any of you actually read the Monokuma File, you’d see that there was a bit more.”

“A bit more?” Kiibo echoed. “What… What do you mean by that? Never mind that—you never handed out a Monokuma File!”

“I didn’t?” Monokuma paused. “Oh, yeah. Sorry. I forgot.”

“What a sorry excuse.” Kokichi hissed.

Monokuma seemed to ignore the leader. “Kaito wasn’t due to die yet, you see. His illness was getting worse, but he had another week or two left to live! So why did he choose to give into his weakness..?”

Kokichi jolted when Maki let out a sharp noise. It was obvious she knew something, but it seemed Shuichi was surprised as well.

“Let’s… discuss, then…” Shuichi shuddered. “Maki, you were the last person to see Kaito before his death, yes? Please tell us what he said.”

Maki shut her eyes and took a short breath. “I—I can’t…”

“Maki.” Kokichi spoke as quiet and as gentle as he could, but it was still colder then he wanted. “Kaito doesn’t want you to die, does he? If you refused to cooperate, we’ll _all_ die. And then, whatever promise you made to him would end up being your own twisted lie.”

It took Maki a few moments to collect herself before her eyes formed into those that Kokichi had known for so long. They were sharp, keen, yet strangely calm. She was putting on a mask just as he had done before. “Alright. I’ll tell you everything.”

 

 

Kaito had been sitting next to Maki in a somewhat comfortable chair inside of the lab’s control room. He wore a calm smile, but Maki’s face was contorted with frustration.

“It just doesn’t make sense.” She spoke angrily. “All of these documents are hinting at something in space, but… But something is missing. These words don’t connect.”

In front of them on the large desk were flimsily scattered sheets of paper regarding the Gofer Project and the end of the world. But what confused them both was the fact that the information did not line up—and as well, neither of them could find the known discrepancy.

All the while, Kaito would cast anxious glances in Maki’s direction. He only held them there for no more then a moment, but it was easily noticeable. After a few recurrences of this, Maki decided to speak up.

“What’s the matter?”

This caught Kaito off guard. He blinked, staring back with a surprised look before shaking his head with a smile. “Nothing, Maki Roll.”

“Something is wrong.” Maki pressed. “Are you feeling alright?”

“…” Kaito narrowed his eyes. He looked down at the papers, specifically the one about the Outside World… and then the Flashback Lights… Gofer Project… And he gasped. “That’s it!”

“What?!” Maki shot up. “What is it? Did you find the—”

She was cut off when Kaito stood up as well and enveloped her in a warm hug. “Tell me something, Maki Roll…” He breathed. “What do you think of me?”

“What do I think..?” Her arms dropped to her sides as she rested her head on Kaito’s shoulder. “Why now? We’re… so close to the truth… We’ll be able to leave soon—”

“You really think that?” Kaito clenched his fists. “I—I know I won’t last much longer. That’s why I’m pushing so hard to get out of here… for you.”

Maki stepped back almost instantly. “No—Kaito, you’re wrong. You’re going to live. We’re all going to get out of here together!”

“You’ve changed.” Kaito smiled. “For the better, I’d say. I’m proud of your optimism.” His gaze hardened. “Please answer the question.”

“I…” Maki shut her eyes. “I care a lot about you—”

“Then please trust what I’m going to do next.” Kaito put his hands on her shoulders. “I’m going to move on to the next world. And I’ll meet up with everyone—and soon, you’ll join me.”

“What—what are you talking about, Kaito—”

“Maki.” Kaito stared deep into her eyes. “We’ll meet again. I feel like… I’m… in a position where I know that if I’m wrong, it wouldn’t have mattered. But if I’m right, we’ll live on.”

Before Maki could reply, Kaito gently kissed her on the lips and held there for a few moments before leaving her behind in the room, closing the door to the lab behind him.

Only to be found moments later dead outside of his lab.

 

 

Kokichi’s hands were stuck over his mouth, a gesture he hadn’t done in awhile due to his own boost in confidence.

Kaito _knew_.

He _knew_ of a possibility their world wasn’t real. But why didn’t he tell Maki? Perhaps because he was afraid the mastermind would erase their memories? That was what Kokichi believed, but it wasn’t good to speak up about that.

His eyes travelled over to Tsumugi, who was clearly hiding her surprise and intrigue behind a layer of fake sadness for Kaito’s death.

Kiibo spoke next. “So that’s what happened. He was ready to die.”

“I wouldn’t say that he was ready to die.” Shuichi blinked. “He… He knew something. I bet he was afraid to say what it was… But why would he be afraid to speak? The mastermind, maybe? I find that hard to believe. Why was he so sure he shouldn’t tell anyone?”

Kokichi was frozen in his place.

‘I have to tell them,’

_I can’t tell them,_

‘They need to know,’

_It’ll put them in danger,_

‘Kaito’s dead because of this,’

_And Tsumugi is watching,_

‘She’ll try to stop us,’

_Us?_

‘Me.’

**_We?_ **

**‘I…’**

“I know why…” Kokichi stuttered. “I know everything…”

Shuichi rushed his head in Kokichi’s direction and grabbed the railing intensely. “Kokichi, are you finally willing to talk?!”

His eyes blinked rapidly. “I—I can’t—not while _they’re_ listening…” With _they_ , he was referring to both Tsumugi and the _audience_ Kokichi couldn’t help but remember. “But—But Kaito—he’s alive… I know he’s alive…”

“Yes.” Maki spoke clearly. “Kaito is alive.”

“You too, Maki?!” Kiibo gasped. “I’m used to Kokichi’s antics, but you’re in on this too?” He paused, suddenly getting the idea that Maki is in denial. “I’m sorry, but he’s—”

“No.” Tsumugi interrupted. “I have a _feeling_ he is alive as well. I can’t describe it, really. It’s weird! Like some sort of hidden sixth sense!”

Tsumugi’s words were a clear indication towards Kokichi that he was correct. But he wasn’t entirely sure why Tsumugi was telling him this. Even if he were to speak to her about it, he was sure that conversation would end in vague answers or even worse memory erasure—if it were to work at all.

Kokichi shook off those thoughts and instead gave a sad smile. “Thank you…”

Shuichi nodded. “So this is what we know: Kaito had a terminal illness and was near death, and he knew that he would inevitably die. He learned something that Kokichi _seems to also know_ , and because he knew he would die anyways, he decided to see if he was right. So—that means he planned his death.”

“I guess so…” Kiibo sighed.

“It seems we’ve come to a decision, then!” Monokuma chirped. “But is it the right one? Let’s see!”

The voting screen appeared in front of Kokichi. His finger wavered in front of Kaito’s portrait.

_~~We~~ I may never know every detail as to what Kaito was thinking, but I do know that he is watching—right now, even. I don’t even know if he had an idea of who the mastermind was or anything. Maki’s description of the events was so… vague… Maybe someday, once we’re all out of here, I can ask him myself._

He pressed down on Kaito’s portrait and Monokuma wrapped up the trial.

“Congratulations!” He cheered. “You’ve moved onto the next day! Sadly, we can’t execute someone who’s dead, but you should all be proud! This was one of the fastest trials yet!”

Shuichi looked down. He was angry—a bit too angry—but he held in his anger for everyone’s sake. He walked over to Kokichi and held out his hand, to which Kokichi drooped his sleeve and grabbed it. The two of them, as well as Maki, began to head towards the elevator.

“You seem surprisingly calm.” Shuichi noted.

Maki cast a sidelong glance at the detective. “It’s not like I won’t see him again.”

Kokichi stared at the floor and faintly smiled. They were beginning to trust him. Now that Shuichi _and_ Maki trusted him, surely everyone would. And they were lucky. Nobody left would kill anyone. And nobody would die from a deadly disease.

 

But then there was Tsumugi.

 

And Voice.

 

Kokichi wasn’t sure where Voice went. He had **a normal time at the trial** without any problems. But Voice is still out there. He could be plotting something—no, we _must be plotting something—anything._ Kokichi knew this. He could tell.

Shuichi shuffled next to him as the others boarded the elevator and it began to rise. “Why do you get so cold?” He asked Kokichi.

“Huh?” Kokichi blinked.

“You don’t like physical contact either.” He continued. “Any reason why?”

Kokichi looked away. “ _He_ would touch me a lot.” He paused, realizing what he’d said could be taken the wrong way. “N-Not in that way! Just—He would touch my face and rub my cheeks and forcefully grab my hands—and he was always damn freezing. And as for why _I’m_ cold—maybe It’s because of that? Or maybe it’s just me.”

Shuichi gave a small, unheard sigh. “That’s fine, then.” He hid his disappointment. “I’m sorry for asking.”

“Don’t be sorry!” Kokichi smirked, jumping away and spinning around. “You’re talking to a Supreme Leader! Bow down and beg for forgiveness!” He laughed.

Shuichi smiled.

Maki smiled, yet hers was a bit less happy.

 

And for now, until the moment they stepped away from each other and were alone yet again, Kokichi was safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey hi hello i had writers block so im sorry for not updating ;( ill try to get the next one done sooooooon :O
> 
> but what do you think? hows it goin?  
> (i feel like now i should say this is my first official public fanfiction, i hope its not shitty) :]  
> anyways, see you next chapteeeeer! o(〃＾▽＾〃)o


	41. Because Without It, I'd be Gone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tsumuggler is a bad and sushi is cute

It was peaceful for days. Nothing important had occurred. Nothing with Voice. No deaths. Minimal appearances of Monokuma. And it was nice. It gave Kokichi a break, honestly. However, he wasn’t entirely sure he deserved one.

He had gotten much closer to Maki, though.  She had missed Kaito as much as the next guy—if there was such a person—but she respected Kokichi much more now. Despite this, she was still the same passive aggressive assassin she’s always been. She spent more time with Himiko now, as Tsumugi had begun distancing herself from the others.

It was then that she had approached Kokichi.

He was alone in the gaming room playing trivial rhythm games when she walked in. He ignored her, trying to focus on the game at hand. It was more important, anyway. If she killed him then and there, he’d just wake up in the other world.

She sat down and fixed her glasses. “You can stop now.” She said. Kokichi paused the game and looked at her with an innocent yet confused look. “They’re not watching right now. I made sure of that.”

Kokichi frowned. “What do you want, Tsumugi? Here to kill me? Erase my memories? If so, make it quick please and thank you! I’m not in the mood to feel pain yet, ‘mkay?”

Tsumugi just stared in front of her. “There’s no reason for that, Kokichi. You’ll fall to despair again anyway. It’s just a matter of time.”

“Oh? And what is it you’re re—”

“Where is the Dictator?”

Kokichi froze. “Voice?” Tsumugi nodded in reply to that. “I don’t know, Tsumugi. I don’t know where he is. Even if I did, I won’t tell you.”

She clicked her tongue and hissed. “Damn it…” She snapped. “If not for that fucking organization hacking and adding him, this game would be _perfect!_ I can imagine it now… I imagine… you’d be dead already! And then EVERYTHING would be just perfect!”

Kokichi jumped up and stepped back. “Organization? What do you—”

“I’ve said too much.” Tsumugi walked past Kokichi before halting. “One step out of line, Kokichi. _Just one step will get you even past the second world._ ”

 

“…” Kokichi stayed there even after Tsumugi left. Then he waited. He waited for her to leave for sure. Then he ran out of the door. The audience _must_ be watching now. He ran his hand through his hair. “So that’s how it is.”

Tsumugi didn’t know where Voice was. If that were true, it was safe to assume the people in the real world didn’t know either. The programmers, hosts, nobody. He was gone.

But this brought up another question to Kokichi: Was this “organization” Tsumugi spoke of what caused Voice to appear? It was possible, but until he escaped, there was no way to be certain.

He left the gaming room and stepped up to the first floor, walking through the empty halls towards the warehouse. He entered, taking long looks in each corner of the area until they rested on the one box he’d been looking for. Inside of the box was a plentiful amount of weaponry. He grabbed the simple switchblade he was accustomed to before heading out towards Shuichi’s lab for a nap.

As he turned into the lab, he noticed Shuichi wasn’t in there, but the warmth on his seat proved he had just left. He sat down on the sofa, skimming over the book left on the coffee table. It was yet another book filled with overviews of murder cases. Kokichi couldn’t help but think that many of them were fabricated.

The door to the lab opened and Shuichi walked in with his eyes closed. He had a simple tray of tea in his hands, and without opening his eyes he placed it on the coffee table. When he opened his eyes afterwards, Kokichi couldn’t help but laugh.

Shuichi jumped nearly 6 feet back when he opened his eyes to see Kokichi sitting there innocently. “Wh—What the hell?! When’d—” He blinked, trying to calm down instinctively so that the shorter boy wouldn’t get scared—or even worse, upset. “Sorry. I didn’t know you were here.”

“I needed to relax.” Kokichi replied.

“Did something happen?” The detective had brought the whole tea set, as if he was expecting for someone else to arrive. He poured Kokichi a glass and set it down in front of him.

Kokichi took a sip of the tea and sighed. “I guess you could say that. But I think I have an idea.”

“An idea for what?”

“An idea to lure out Voice.” Kokichi blinked as though it were an obvious answer. He smiled and looked away to hide it. “But I don’t think you’ll like it.”

Shuichi narrowed his eyes in annoyance. “I apologize if this sounds rude, but usually if I won’t agree with a plan of yours, it’s probably not a good plan.”

Kokichi laughed. “Yeah, that’s no surprise!” He took a deep breath and began to explain. “Promise me you won’t interrupt because I’m… getting out of hand?”

“Yeah… I guess so.”

“Alright!” Kokichi nodded. “Voice has always been a person of habit. I know that much, because I’m the same way. He’s always wanted me to die—but to atone for sins of the past game where I…” He shuddered. “Killed you. And now that you’re… here, and alive, and happy—and you know what I did, and you don’t hate me—then he’s gone. But now, I think if I were to do something, he would come back out. So then…”

Kokichi shuffled around nervously before reaching into his pocket and pulling out the switchblade. “If I were to attempt suicide once more, he would appear—”

“I can’t allow that.” Shuichi interrupted. He had said he wouldn’t, but he knew Kokichi had gone _too far_. “You can’t do that.”

Kokichi grunted. “Well if you have a better plan, go ahead! I’m all ears, Shuichi Saihara!”

Shuichi refuted. “How do I know you won’t die?! You’ll hurt yourself again—I—I can’t bear to see you like that again!”

“You know I’ll still be alive, Shuichi. Just like Kaito.”

“Then why don’t we all just kill ourselves to put this game to an end?” Shuichi’s face betrayed his cold determination.

“And let everyone who has died before us have a meaningless death?! They didn’t know that they would survive. They thought they would be able to escape.  Imagine what they must be doing in the outside world! The blackened must be treated as the scum of the Earth, huh?!” Kokichi hissed. “If I want to put an end to this game, I’ll get rid of Voice and Tsumugi and we’ll all be able to get out of here together! That’s what…” He clenched his fists. “That’s what Kae—I want.”

Shuichi looked downcast. “I’m sorry.”

“No.” Kokichi leaned over onto Shuichi’s shoulder. “I am. I have to do it. Voice won’t kill me. I’ll kill him.” He joined his hands together and wrapped them around the back of his head. “Even if I’m technically killing myself.”

Shuichi opened his mouth to speak before closing it again. He opened it once more and spoke. “I had another dream…”

“About?”

“About…” He shut his eyes as if he were trying to collect all of the pieces he had scattered across his brilliant mind. “I can’t say for certain. But it happened again… The feeling… and the… _the blood…_ ”

“Right, then.” Kokichi murmured. “If I _must_ tell the truth, here it is. I killed you. I know you know that much.”  When Shuichi nodded, he continued. “You’re dreams aren’t dreams, obviously. They’re memories. _Your_ memories.”

“If that’s the case, then why aren’t I dead here? There was… a lot of blood…”

“You’re an idiot.” Kokichi harshly stated. “We know death here is meaningless, so OBVIOUSLY it was there too! Not to mention the fact that Tsumugger mentioned an organization—it’s obvious she knows something.”

“Yeah…” Shuichi sighed. “But right now—I just…”

“Let’s go to my room. There’s probably clues there.” Kokichi suggested. “After all, Voice had control over it for so long, I’m sure he’s left us something!”

Shuichi blinked. “Alright.” He stood up and proceeded to the door. “Let’s go, then.”

Kokichi was sure the audience had seen that conversation. Or perhaps the cameras weren’t on them. He wasn’t entirely sure, but _something_ told him they were fine. Nobody had seen their conversation. If anyone, the programmers did—but still, he had a feeling the two of them would be just fine.

He opened the door to his room and flicked on the lights. “Let’s get to work, Shuichi.” He trotted over to the box filled with hand-written notes and assorted articles Voice had accumulated. He picked it up and placed it on his bed. He slipped off his shoes and lay stomach-down, sorting through the files and reading them individually.

Shuichi glanced at him as he went to close the door before Kokichi called out. “Nah, leave it open. If someone comes by, we’ll be able to get more help.”

He flipped open the article on the top and read the first line. It was about the culture of the outside world. The next one was about the top schools in Japan. But they were there for what seemed to be hours, going through paper after paper after paper…

Kiibo had appeared in the middle, helping the two of them by going through physical objects and scanning them for any strange things.

Eventually, Kiibo and Shuichi hadn’t noticed that Kokichi had passed out on his bed in the end of an adrenaline rush. By this point, Kiibo had left due to sheer boredom, but Shuichi walked over to the door and closed it. He glanced at Kokichi, who was in a rather uncomfortable position. He raised the smaller boy’s blanket and covered his body, fluffing the pillow underneath his head. As he turned to leave, Kokichi’s cold hand grabbed his own. It sent a chill up his arm due to the sheer frostbitten feeling in his touch.

And he wouldn’t let go.

Shuichi ultimately gave up and sat down next to Kokichi. It was then that he was pulled in. He sighed and closed his eyes, deciding that the sudden strength of the boy next to him was no match for a tired detective.

 

 

But when he stirred, Kokichi was still asleep, but he was wrapped in Shuichi’s arms. His hands were clutched against Shuichi’s shirt. The detective relaxed his head with it leaning down onto Kokichi’s purple hair.

Under his breath, he could hear Kokichi mumbling about something. He was grabbing onto the shirt even harder now, and slightly shaking.

“ _please don’t hurt him—he’s innocent, i’m the one that did it—I killed him, it was me, don’t hurt him—don’t hurt them all…”_

Shuichi slowly rubbed the back of Kokichi’s head. What was the leader dreaming about? Perhaps once he awoke, he would be able to tell his story.

But until that happened, the two drifted into sleep in each other’s arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter: flashbacks of the previous game!! ;D  
> where is voice? what happened to shuichi in the previous game? is kokichi even a realistic character??  
> find out next time ON RECONCILE (cue the theme music)
> 
> ❤︎⁄⁄꒰* ॢꈍ◡ꈍ ॢ꒱.*˚‧


	42. Ephemeral Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> magic school bus takes us back in time, desuka?

“Catch me if you can, Kirumi!” Kokichi called to the maid who was chasing after him. It was a normal day. He would ask Kirumi to play games with him, and of course, the maid would comply. She would answer every task of his like clockwork.

He turned a sharp corner, passing by Ryoma and Kiibo chatting happily. The next corner—he saw Kaede chatting with Rantaro. When they spotted him running from Kirumi, Rantaro ran up beside him and began to laugh.

“This is still your definition of fun, huh?” He said.

Kokichi pouted. “It’s better then just lounging around! I’m a Supreme Leader, I can do anything I’ve ever dreamed of through my power!”

_Yet somehow, there were still scars on his once-bleeding arms._

“If you’re just gonna slow me down, then begone!” He began to speed up his pace and made two sharp corners to hide from Kirumi.

He took a step back and turned around as he saw Kirumi pass by his location. A large thud left him falling to the ground. “Damn it, Kirumi… you’re really good at your jo—”

It was Shuichi Saihara, the Ultimate Detective. He looked down at Kokichi with a frown and fixed grabbed his hat. “Oh, sorry!”

“Oh… Mr. Detective. Tell me, are you here to kill me?” Kokichi smirked. “I’m all open!” He swung his hands behind his head. “Say, are you going to plan a murder? It’d be a nice twist if you would be the guy to do that.”

“Ah… no.” Shuichi sighed. “I’m not going to kill anyone. Sorry if that’s… not the answer you wanted.” He shifted. “Anyways—I—”

“If you have something to say, go ahead and say it.” Kokichi spoke firmly. “I’m not going to let you hide anything from me, and you obviously want to talk.”

Shuichi stiffened. He hadn’t expected Kokichi to speak like that. It was the sudden burst of maturity for a childish boy that was… intriguing. He was always such a distant figure. He wasn’t entirely sure if the leader was even a person or a ghost. Of course, not a literal one…

But before he could speak, he got out but a sole mutter before Kirumi turned the corner, causing Kokichi to yelp. He smiled to Shuichi. “Don’t die!” He sprinted off with Kirumi flying by Shuichi.

He wasn’t entirely sure what made Kokichi so special to him, but regardless of what it was, he was just so _interested._

And Kokichi was sure there was more to this world then what he saw. There was no way some of the things he’d seen were real. Just being there felt artificial. There were too many contradictions in documents and far too many discrepancies.

 

Kokichi was sitting in the dining hall with the others eating dinner. They were all chatting about stupid, boring things that didn’t really leave an impact or cause further interrogation. He wasn’t in the mood to speak up, anyways.

“I miss being able to see those games, though.” Ryoma muttered. “It was almost like a pastime, playing tennis. Even after my life took a shit, I could still find a sense of happiness in it.”

“We’ll leave here together, and then we can all watch you play tennis, then, Ryoma.” Kaede smiled. “I’ll make sure of it.”

Kokichi took a sip of his water and glanced over at Rantaro. There was something about him that just felt off. He did not trust that man. He could not trust that man. There was something about him. It was bothering him. It _bothered him._

But there was nothing worse then being trapped in a killing game without any killings. Everyone was able to show their own talents, yet Shuichi had always felt a bit useless. He was a detective. There was nothing to do. He didn’t deserve his ‘talent’, either.

But Kokichi couldn’t understand why he was so caught up with that. He knew that Shuichi had an obvious crush on Kaede. It was right there for everyone to see. He didn’t mind it, either. It wasn’t important to him as much as it wasn’t important to anyone else. He would often see that when he was around Shuichi and Kaede, Shuichi would stutter a bit and whatnot.

It was all fine until the fated day Monokuma opened up the hangar—a large room inhabited by a rather ominous metal press and a small sign next to it saying: “WARNING! Security System Unavailable.”

Something told Kokichi a major event would happen there, but he didn’t know what. The ideas of that room haunted him. What would happen there? Is that where he’d die? Or would someone else die there?

He hadn’t noticed, but he was frozen staring at his plate in the dining hall with an unknown expression. It was a mixture of being content and disappointment.

Shuichi lightly patted his shoulder in an attempt to get his attention. “Are you alright? You’re spacing out.”

Kokichi clicked his tongue. “I’m fine, Shuichi!” He smiled. “Just thinking about my… future…” His last word ended up being less then a whisper, yet somehow the detective still heard it.

“What about your future?” Shuichi pressed on rather calmly, as if not to disturb or intrude upon the smaller boy’s thoughts.

“Mm…” Kokichi closed his glazed eyes. “I dunno…”

For a moment, Shuichi couldn’t tell if this was still Kokichi. He wasn’t smirking, giggling, or making sarcastic comments. He wasn’t playing with his food, insulting anyone or anything…

But that was gone in a blink. “Why, do you care ‘bout me or something?!” Kokichi smirked and leaned in, looking up at Shuichi and smiling. “’Cuz if you do, I’ll have no choice but to send you to the gutters!”

“T-the gutters?”

“Nishishishi!” Kokichi took a sip of his water. “That was a lie.”

Shuichi looked away towards his food and ate small bites of it. In a few moments, he turned back to Kokichi and spoke once more. “Tell me something. Why is it you lie so much?”

Kokichi took a moment to register the question. When he finally had an answer, he just shook his head and laughed. “If we all only spoke the truth, then your entire life is preprogrammed. You’ll never be able to do what you want. You’ll never be free.” He frowned. “Don’t you enjoy doing what you want, Mr. Detective?”

A small blush creeped across Shuichi’s face as he frantically turned back to his food. “I suppose that itself is true… But the truth is something that isn’t good to involve yourself with… It’ll just come back to haunt you—”

“I don’t think that.” Kokichi cut him off. “Do what you want to confront the truth, and it still won’t haunt you. It’ll always be there, sure, but it won’t come out and attack you from behind with its claws out like an angry cat.”

Shuichi warmly smiled. “Is that so? Alright, then.”

“If only it was that simple…” Kokichi muttered under his breath.

Somehow, the detective heard him. “What’s not that simple?” When Kokichi didn’t answer, he kept going. “Please tell me.”

The dining hall was a bit warm from the bustling of people, but it was also always hotter in there then anywhere else in the school. Yet Shuichi had noticed that Kokichi’s sleeves were always fully down. When he was running full force from Kirumi, he didn’t roll up his sleeves as a normal person would after running so much.

When Kokichi saw the sudden shock in the detective’s eyes as he looked down at his arms, he was sure that the taller boy knew. In that moment, he stood up as fast as he could and began to leave the dining hall. “Thank you for the meal, Kirumi!” He called as he opened the door.

“…Wait, hold on—” Shuichi jumped up and ran after him rapidly. It didn’t take long for him to catch up to where Kokichi had walked, and he was well versed in knowing that Kokichi was hiding around a corner.

He turned around at each intersection before he saw Kokichi leaning against the wall with the look of “oh shit”. As he turned to run away down that hall, Shuichi grabbed his arm by reflex.

“Oh, dearest me, Shuichi!” Kokichi charismatically greeted him with a wide smile. “You’ve come to see me so soon?” He suddenly winced at the pain in Shuichi’s pressure against his arm, but he tried to hide it. Of course, it wasn’t a good act. “You’re stronger then you seem!”

“Cut the crap, Kokichi.” Shuichi’s voice was oddly stern. He held his wrist in one hand and began to raise the sleeve with the other despite Kokichi’s protests. When his eyes met the scars left behind, he suddenly jerked the arm away.

Kokichi held his arm close to his chest. His mouth remained slightly open as if he were to speak, but no words came out. His furrowed brows betrayed his fear.

“Nothing to say..?” Shuichi hissed. “What… What made you do this to yourself..?!”

“…” Kokichi was frozen there for a few moments before he quickly shook his head and put on a charade. “Geez, Shuichi! What a rude thing to ask someone! Why not ask me something a bit less personal, hm? My favorite color… My favorite manga—”

“Stop playing around!” Shuichi pushed him to the wall by his shoulders. “You—”

“I’m not playing around!” Kokichi retaliated. He pushed Shuichi’s arms off of his shoulders and narrowed his eyes. “I’m never… really playing around…”

“I care about you, Kokichi—You can’t do this to yourself…” Shuichi’s eyes darted around. “I won’t allow it.”

“You’ll have to, Mr. Detective.” Kokichi rolled his eyes. “It’s just who I am, y’see? I’m a Supreme Leader of the darkest evils, and that includes being evil to myself!”

“But you don’t _have to_ be… Let me help you—we’ll get out of this killing game and be free! You won’t need to hurt yourself!”

Kokichi froze. He paused momentarily before nodding his head and smiling. “We’ll see then, okay?  Let me show you something I’ve been trying to do…”

 

* * *

 

 

Shuichi grabbed Kokichi’s hand and clenched it as tight as he could. He slowly kissed the shorter boy’s lips and held there for moments. It was the first time he had kissed anyone. As he leaned back, he expected Kokichi to run away or hide, but he just enveloped Shuichi in a hug.

“You really… want to go through with this?” He asked in a monotonous voice.

Shuichi smiled. “If this will save you… if it will save everyone here… then maybe I’ll finally be useful.”

“Don’t say that.” Kokichi insisted. “You’ve always been useful. Just being here was useful enough for me. You’re fine just the way you are, Shuichi!” His smile turned into a slightly egoistical smirk. “But a supreme leader doesn’t need to give compliments! They can tell who’s a good person and who isn’t just by looking into their sin filled eyes. And yet yours had never betrayed any sort of humility.”

Shuichi nodded. “Then let’s go.” He turned his head to the large hydraulic press and frowned. He took a shallow breath and stepped forward. He placed his hand on the smooth metal and narrowed his eyes. He slowly lay down on the cold surface and shivered. Kokichi grabbed the remote control for the press from the handler and set it down next to the detective. He took yet another breath and grabbed the remote.

“And in a few hours… you’ll be gone… and I’ll see you soon.”

 

* * *

 

 

“Me? A murderer?” Rantaro narrowed his eyes. “I find that hard to believe.”

“Then what were you doing at the time of the murder? Everyone else has been accounted for!” Kaede pushed.

Kokichi had been able to give an alibi by playing games with Ryoma and Kaito in the gaming room. It wasn’t foolproof, but at the time of death, he wasn’t there. And there was no evidence pointing to him at all.

“You were the only one to know about the hangar, Rantaro Amami.” Kiibo spoke firmly. “None of us had gone there before. You were the only one that could have gone there! Explain yourself.”

Rantaro blinked, casting glances at Monokuma before shaking his head. “You’ve got it all wrong…”

“But there is nobody else that could have done it!” Tenko protested. “You degenerate male… you killed Shuichi! That’s final!”

And although they were jumping to conclusions, the lack of the detective made the investigation and the trial much less organized then he’d want.

The plan was for the others to vote for anyone. As long as they couldn’t find traces of suicide, it would be fine.

But when they voted, Kokichi was ready to vote for Shuichi. He pressed down, and the votes came in—

And Monokuma gasped in surprise.

“What a strange turn of events! Only one person guess correctly…” He was deep in thought. “But the blackened is no longer alive… Very well, then! Kokichi Oma will _not_ be executed!”

Kokichi blinked.

‘What?’

“You _KNEW_?!” Miu shouted in pure rage. “You… You… You monster!!”

Kokichi stood blankly ahead of him as the others began to be pulled back by restraints summoned by Monokuma. “I… I didn’t…”

“It’s okay…” Kaede was crying. “At least… one of us survived… It’s okay, Kokichi… You didn’t do it… You just guessed…”

“…Kokichi couldn’t have know… Gonta know… Kokichi not bad person…” Gonta choked out.

They were all dragged out of the room one by one to be sent to their death.

Tears rolled down Kokichi’s cheeks as the monitors flickered on. Each of them portraying the individual executions.

First up was Kaede. Then Rantaro, Tenko, Gonta, Maki, Ryoma, Miu, Kiibo, Kaito, Korekiyo, Kirumi, Angie, and then Himiko. Yet Tsumugi was never sent for her own execution. She simply laughed it off.

By the first execution, he was crying.

By the fourth, he had fallen to the floor.

By the seventh, he had gotten to the brink of passing out.

By the last, he was ready to die.

And he let out a terrified scream.

“ _No—No, No, it shouldn’t have—they’re all dead—_ I killed them all—Shuichi—Shuichi, we were going to leave together! I’m still here! We were wrong, they’re all—”

_But we weren’t wrong._

_Neither of us were wrong._

_Not you, not I._

‘I—We—’

_It’s okay, Kokichi. Just stay together. We’ll always be together…_

“ERROR DETECTED.”

A message was displayed on every screen. Tsumugi wore a confused and scared look on her face. “Error? What error?” Her eyes travelled to Kokichi, who was on the floor with his eyes shut tight and his hands covering his ears. “Error?! Give me the details, NOW!”

Men’s voices were muffled over speakers. “It’s the Future Foundation, Ms. Shirogane! They’re interfering with the contestant! We need to stabilize him—”

“No.” Tsumugi hissed. “We’re going to repeat this game.”

“Ms. Shirogane—do you mean—”

She raised her hand into the air as Monokuma congratulated Kokichi. Many doctors began to enter the room. Programmers and designers who had quickly logged into the game to perform maintenance.

“We’re going to repeat this game and see how it plays out. That’s what the viewers seem to want, right? They haven’t seen enough of these characters. The ratings are at an all time high since the first three seasons.” Tsumugi decided, turning to the nearest camera. “What do you think, viewers? I hope you’ll enjoy!”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and that's the flashback! one of the hardest chapters to write... no, the hardest to write. sorry if it seems rushed, i did my best .v.! remember that kokichi isn't literally dreaming all of this, just of the previous game in summary.
> 
> Anyhoo, see you next chapter in the present! o(^◇^)o


	43. Unprecedented Soliloquy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kokichi rushes into his plan, sushi works for nasa and wait who are you

Kokichi blinked open his eyes to a surprising warmth. His hazy vision began to come out of a blur and focus into two golden eyes staring straight back at him. His mind was still fuzzy with the air of sleep. He tried to focus on what was in front of him—it hadn’t occurred to him that Shuichi was awake.

‘…Why… is Shuichi here…?’

Shuichi gave him a small smile and reached his hand out to lightly brush Kokichi’s hair. He was obviously very tired too, but he was awake.

“…you’re still awake…” Kokichi mumbled in slurred speech. “…why?”

“You were talking in your sleep…” He replied quietly. “…Did you dream something important? You… were talking about… us.” His hair drooped in front of his eyes. “And you sounded panicked…”

Kokichi lowered his head into the pillow. He shook his head softly. “…’s nothing…” But then he raised his eyes and stared into Shuichi’s gaze. He blinked. “…HOLY SH—” He jumped up, hitting the back of his head on the wall behind him as Shuichi nearly fell out of the bed from the leader’s sudden burst of energy.

“What?! What is it—” Shuichi stuttered.

His face was tinged with a vibrant red. “You—and…and I—” He took a calm, collective breath. “How… did we end up like this?”

Shuichi covered his mouth as he laughed. “Well…” He took a moment to think of how to answer. “You just wouldn’t let go of my sleeve.”

“I—”

“You don’t need to apologize.” Shuichi smiled. “You deserved the rest. How are you feeling?” He sat up straight and leaned back on the wall.

Kokichi frowned and crossed his arms. “I’m fine… I guess. Just a little conc—” He cut himself off. “I’m fine.”

“You’re worried about Voice, aren’t you?” Shuichi narrowed his eyes towards the floor. “You… know I don’t approve of your plan—”

“As I’ve said, it’s not like I’ll die. Voice isn’t even a real person. I’m not gonna become a blackened if I kill him.” Kokichi pointed out nonchalantly. “So you don’t have to worry.” He hid his own fears from the detective. It would be better for both of them if he didn’t make Shuichi worry.

“When will you do it..?” Shuichi uttered out the words.

Kokichi stiffened. Without speaking, he jumped off of the bed and grabbed the knife from the other side of the room. “It’s going to happen today.”

“So soon?” Shuichi gasped.

Kokichi shrugged. “I don’t know… I feel like something is going to happen soon. I can’t just sit around and wait for him to move first.” A smile creeped across his face. “Besides, I don’t want competition for who leads.”

Shuichi shifted. “I’m still... worried.”

‘So am I,’ Kokichi felt like muttering, but he ultimately decided not to. “But I have to prepare…”

“Prepare for death?” Shuichi tipped his head. “You said yourself it’s not like you’ll die, though.”

“Not physically…” Kokichi sighed, sitting down next to Shuichi on the best and hiding his face by resting his head on the other boy’s shoulder. “Mentally. Emotionally. I just hope I’m ready.”

Shuichi seemed to tense at his words. “You don’t have to worry, Kokichi…”

“But…” Kokichi shook his head and trembled, yet he maintained a solid smile. “I’ve tried to kill myself for so long… and I’ve gotten so close—in fact, I’d not be here if not for you guys… But—now Maki doesn’t hate me… and you… I care…” He quickly shook his head. “I finally don’t wanna die… and how ironic is it that the one time this happens I _have_ to do it?”

“Even after you’ve finished… and… and you _kill_ Voice, we’ll see each other again, right?” Shuichi smiled. “Then you don’t need to worry. Even in the real world, we’ll be together.”

Kokichi stood up. “If I do leave this world… promise me you won’t kill yourself.”

Shuichi bit his tongue to prevent himself from shouting. “I… won’t.”

“Then I need to… get something.” Kokichi nodded. “Feel free to come with me.” He opened the door and walked out of the room, Shuichi following close after. They walked silently to the warehouse, where Kokichi quickly headed over to the area of weapons.

It wouldn’t work to attack him full force. He would just need to get a way for him to attack Kokichi. His eyes darted towards Shuichi, who was rummaging through the shelves. He grabbed a small, hidden item and smuggled it into his shirt, so Shuichi wouldn’t see it.

“What is it you’ve gotten?” Shuichi glanced over and asked him out of curiosity.

“Nothing important…” Kokichi mumbled. He clicked his tongue. “Hey, Shuichi?” The detective looked over. “When it happens, can you… sit outside the door? I—I need to do it alone but… I don’t _want_ to be alone…”

Shuichi set down the box he was holding and walked over to Kokichi before waiting for his approval to set his hand on his cheek. When Kokichi nodded and Shuichi placed his hand on his skin, he realized how warm the touch was. It was calming the unknown rapid breaths Kokichi had been taking.

“Of course, Kokichi. I’ll always be there for you…”

As he lowered his hand, Kokichi stepped back. In the span of a second, Kokichi’s face went from tearful and somber to his happy-go-lucky façade. He giggled and spun around. “Then I should probably get ready! After all, I have what I need!”

“And what’s that?” Shuichi frowned.

“Your help!” Kokichi’s eyes trailed to his pocket. “So now, I think I’m ready. I’m going to go to the hangar. Follow me but do so from afar. If I’m not out by say… an hour, then you can come in. If you hear screaming—if you hear _anything_ strange, I don’t care what it is. You don’t enter.”

Shuichi clenched his fists. “I don’t really have a choice in the matter.”

“No, you don’t.” Kokichi smirked. “But… that’s fine…” He walked past Shuichi towards the door and opened it. He tilted his head back towards Shuichi. “I’ll see you later…”

He glanced back towards Shuichi. The detective was staring down towards the floor and stood with full tension as if he was fighting back tears. He seemed to be hiding his emotions to appear strong for Kokichi.

So he left towards the hangar.

Never before had he felt such dread of walking through the school. Would this be the last time he saw these halls? He wasn’t very sure, but all he knew is that he would see Shuichi again. That was all that mattered to him, anyways.

He entered the hangar and sat down on the opened hydraulic press. He sat there quietly for about 10 minutes before holding the knife in his hand and rolling up his left sleeve. His right hand trembled over the dozen scars before he began to cut down just below his wrist.

He winced at the pain, but at least him being in full control made it a bit more tolerable. A stream of blood began to trickle on the floor, adding onto the silence small sounds of droplets to accompany Kokichi’s rapid breathing.

With Voice not even bothering to appear, Kokichi decided to step it up a notch. He swung the knife around and aimed it for his neck. If he went through, he’d be dead in moments. With the positioning, he’d cut through both the skin of his neck and his windpipe. He got ready for the impact, shutting his eyes and not daring ever to open them again unless he heard Voice speaking to him.

And he swiped.

 

* * *

 

 

Shuichi had never felt so afraid. He thought that last time too, but now he was met with a newfound fear or losing Kokichi to himself. Yet with everything he did, it all lead back to Voice. He had about 20 minutes left before he would stand outside of the hangar for Kokichi.

He was sitting in the dining hall with the others, specifically next to Maki. He couldn’t help but send quick glances in Tsumugi’s direction. The mastermind… How disgusting.

Maki seemed to notice his frustration and lightly tapped his shoulder. “What’s the matter? Where’s Kokichi?”

Shuichi took a moment to reply before opening his mouth. “He’s doing something very… important right now. Sorry, I—I can’t say more.”

This seemed to click something in Maki. Her furrowed eyebrows betrayed her own theory. “He’s going to kill himself _again?!_ ” She hissed. “Why didn’t you—”

“Because this time, he will live.” Shuichi smiled into the distance. “I just know it.”

“What makes you so sure…?” Himiko shuddered. “He—He almost died last time… And—And why won’t he this time?!”

Maki glanced at Himiko with a nod. “Yeah. Why are you so sure?”

Shuichi shuffled in his seat. “Well—The thing is—I, uh… I’m scared too… but something tells me we’ll see each other again.” He took a sip of the tense air around him. “I guess… you could call it a hunch.”

  

* * *

 

 

“Something is terribly wrong…”

Three young adults sat at a desk with 13 monitors upon it. Each displayed a running code of some sort, but only one did not. The last monitor displayed a video of Kokichi in the hangar. He was slumped to the left with blood trickling down his arms. He was alive, despite the strange appearance.

One of them was a young woman with pale brown pigtails. She was typing away at the computer frantically. “We need to get him disconnected! I don’t care if we destroy this whole system, I _will not let him die!_ ”

“Kanako—Calm down…” Another girl with braided brown hair put her hand on Kanako’s shoulder. “Kokichi wouldn’t want you to act like this. We’re doing our b—”

“But we’re not, Suwako!” Kanako shouted. “The one damn script we need is so heavily protected we can’t do anything about it! Sure he’ll wake up, but he’ll be _damaged!_ ”

“She has a point.” The third person was a boy with brown hair covering half of his face. He shifted in his position. “We don’t know the locations of the others—we can’t guarantee their safety. Of course, those who are already passed have already moved to the relocation building and they’re all doing somewhat fine, but…” He gulped. “Kokichi isn’t as strong. Especially with… _him_ being there.”

“Perhaps if we find th—the detective—we’ll help Kokichi with—” Suwako gasped. “Look, there! Rinnosuke, look!”

Rinnosuke glanced over. Before flashing towards the screen in a rushed way. “What’s going on?! Is that—”

“It’s _him_! He’s finally decided to show up!” Kanako panicked. “C’mon, C’mon… We need to find a way to stop him—he’ll kill Kokichi—”

“It’s practically suicide…” Rinnosuke muttered. “The more devastating the death, the worse his condition will be when awakening. Suicide—it’s the heaviest burden to carry.”

“Suicid—” Kanako froze. “You’re… you’re right—we have to find a way to—Okay, here—” She rolled the chair over to another screen, with the other two following and watching her intently. “We—We can try to halt the pro—” A large error message appeared blankly on the screen. “What the FUCK?!”

“C-c-calm down—stop yelling…” Suwako trembled.

Rinnosuke narrowed his eyes before diverting his attention to the screen. “Oh… shit.”

“What? What?!” Kanako abandoned her chair and sprinted to the main screen. “…Oh… shit…”

On the thirteenth monitor stood Voice merely two feet away from Kokichi, who was holding a gun to Voice’s head.

Suwako let out a small, terrified laugh. “Oh… shit.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh shoots who are you three?? i mean its kiiiinda obvious but hey, not really hiding it >v<  
> next chapter is a big one too! i hope you're excited as much as I am!
> 
> see you next chapter (ﾉ´ヮ´)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧


	44. Break Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kokichi has a gun but voice is ready to pewpew

“Pure silence is quite a charm for you, isn’t it?” Kokichi smirked at his mirrored counterpart.

Voice held his ground with the same smirk back at him. “ _And just what do you think you’re doing? You’re going to shoot me? You really think a stupid ass bullet is going to kill me? Honestly, Kokichi, I thought you were smarter than that.”_

His eyes began to glisten with malice. “Ah, good to see you’re back to your cold heart bitch of a personality. I’m quite surprised though. You must be hiding an awful lot of fear right now.” The way that Voice was looking at Kokichi—his slightly trembling palms that could easily be dismissed as his breathing—it was a dead giveaway of his fear. “Back in that empty room you said, ‘it hurts for me too’, right? That means we share pain—” He shifted the gun in his hand. “—and that also means that if one of us dies, so will the other.”

It wasn’t much of a revelation, but it caused Voice to stiffen with widened eyes. In a quick shake of his head retaliated. “ _You wouldn’t dare—”_ He snarled.

“Oh but dearest me, I would!” Kokichi laughed excitedly. “But don’t worry ‘bout that. After all, _you made me this way._ ”

“ _Oh? Made you what way, Kokichi? What way?”_ He motioned with his hands to the left. “ _Did I push a bit too hard on the buttons?_ ” And then, he motioned them to the right. “ _Or perhaps you’ve always had that sort of twisted side to you?”_ Lastly, he pointed one hand to himself and the other to Kokichi. “ _Where did I come from, then? Just a figment of imagination? You already know that’s not true. I must have come from someone.”_

“Look, I hate to be this way, but I honestly don’t give a shit.” Kokichi rolled his eyes. “We’ve both figured this world isn’t real. Hell, you even showed me the outside world. Kaede’s alive, we both clearly saw that. But I—But I still don’t have a clue as to why there were shops dedicated to us. Are you famous? Ah well, too bad I don’t care. But what I do care about is how sweet your reaction to this is.”

“ _Whatever the case may b—”_

“Oh Voice, I thought you were so happy to see me die? What ever happened to that?” Kokichi closed his malicious eyes and opened them to show those that showed nothing but insanity. Not in the delusional kind—no, it was a form of confidence. “Is it because you didn’t know either, Voice? You thought that if I died, you’d be able to do whatever the hell it is you wanted?”

Voice glanced around and frowned. All of that disappointment in his character suddenly vanished as he pulled out his own gun and aimed it at Kokichi in the exact way he held it at himself.

“Tiny particles, huh? You got a fancy power there. Tell me—where does it come from?” Kokichi waited for moments before shrugging. “Whatever. Doesn’t matter if you answer. Besides, why are you pointing a gun at me? You’ll die either way. One of us—no, both of us are going to die here.”

“ _So you lied to your little boyfriend that you’d survive.”_ Voice tipped his head. “ _How nice.”_

Kokichi appeared flustered. “He’s not my boyfriend—he—he’s as much as he is mine as he is yours.” He adjusted the gun in his hand and flicked it around. “So—”

“ _So just because you’re going to die doesn’t mean it has to be easy.”_ Voice lunged at Kokichi, a missed gunshot echoing into the air as he pushed his mirror image to the floor. The gun in his hand began to turn into a knife as he aimed it at Kokichi’s throat.

“Ah, s—so you’re—in that much of a rush—?” Kokichi sarcastically choked out. “T—tell me—what is it you plan to do if you survive?”

Voice smirked. “ _Well, I can answer that much, huh? Alright. I’ll say. After you were dead—I wanted to end the killing game.”_

Kokichi’s eyes sharpened. “Oh you have to be fucking kidding m—”

 _“It’s because we’re a waste of human life and deserve to die!”_ Voice’s eyes began to well up with tears as he placed the knife closer to Kokichi’s neck. “ _He sacrificed himself so that the killing game would end, and we couldn’t even follow the plan!”_

“The plan—the plan—” Kokichi tried to recollect the old memories. “N…No! We made the plan—we’d end the game by winning it! It was the only way left to win—we would all die anyways—”

“ _YOU did this—YOU and ONLY YOU!_ ”

“You’re a part of me—Voice—”

Voice’s knife pushed down on Kokichi’s throat. “ _We’ll finally be able to die… For Shuichi’s sake… So he can—”_

Kokichi winced at the pain. “Not like we—we’ll actually be dying—it’s just a simulation—we’ll still be alive…”

“ _Unless you just never wake up.”_ Voice laughed.

“Then that’s a risk I’ll end up taking if it means leaving you here to rot.” Kokichi smirked. “Go ahead and do it already… if it means getting rid of yo—”

Voice cut down and slid across Kokichi’s throat before falling back in pain. Blood began to disperse onto the concrete floor of the hangar. All Kokichi—and by extension, Voice—could feel was pure pain. As much as he tried to scream, nothing would come out. Dark spots began to appear in his vision. He couldn’t hear it, but he was sure he saw a group of people entering the hangar.

The last thing he saw was a group of particles floating away from the spot where Voice once lay.

 

* * *

 

“Kokichi! Come down now, it’s nice to eat!”

“Coming, mom!” Kokichi called back cheerfully. He raced down the stairwells of the almost purple house before sliding into the dining room.

His entire family loved the color purple. It was the color of their eyes, their hair, their rooms—but especially their bruises.

Kokichi’s mother had more then himself. It was a normal thing for his father to come home in a terrible mood and by extension terrible things would happen to the both of them. Neither of them truly cared so much about what could be considered torture, but they always had each other. He gained stronger reflexes and quick speed to outrun and outsmart his mess of a father.

“Kokichi—Kokichi, be a dear and get the door for your father… Tell him dinner is ready as well.” His mother called once more.

Kokichi nodded happily and ran to the door. “Okay!” He opened the door and greeted his alcohol-ridden father. “Hi, dad! Welcome home! Dinner is ready!’

“…” His father brushed by him as if he wasn’t there.

And when it had gone too far, his mother—his sole confidant—was dead. To escape further damage, he fled from home.

“Who are you?” The masked boy said. Half of his face was covered with brown hair. “Are you… Are you also a—”

By the bruises and scrapes on the boy, Kokichi could tell he was just like him. “Yeah. Yeah, I am…”

Rinnosuke was the boy’s name. He showed Kokichi a group of runaways. And he quickly became their leader after showing them places to escape and overall leading to them to less of a shithole… but…

Then Kokichi became an Ultimate. The Committee of Ultimate Students had searched and registered Ultimate Students as candidates for “Danganronpa”. Their memories were wiped and their closest relatives—in this case, DICE itself, would be eradicated.

But DICE was used to running and were never caught.

And when they heard what had happened to Kokichi they had joined the organization fighting against Danganronpa.

The Future Foundation…

 

* * *

 

 

It was cold.

Freezing cold.

Excruciatingly cold.

He couldn’t feel anything. It was numbed to the point of no return. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t see. It was just… cold.

It was like that forever. No sense of consciousness or recollection of memory. Just the freezing cold that engulfed his body.

But then he felt warmth. It was comforting—could such a feeling be considered comfort? He yearned for more of this warmth. He was tired of this freezing cold. And for the first time in this freezing abyss, he gave out a thought.

‘…warm…’

‘…need… warmth…’

And somehow, as if he had said it out loud, the warmth began to grow around him. If he could smile, he would be…

‘…where is DICE..?’

The warmth began to envelop everything around him. It began to scorch as if it was urging him to open his eyes to see its source.

It was painful, though.

Opening his eyes was terrible. He could barely adjust to the dim lighting. It was enough to sear pain into his eyes. He tried to move his hand—his neck—anything, but nothing moved. There was a large mask on his face helping him breathe. All he could do was look around. Nothing else.

The nurses and doctors began to rush in as if they knew he was awake. One of the nurses looked so familiar…

It was one of the nurses he had seen before. The one who was so reluctant. She was still here. Somehow, it made Kokichi a bit less nervous.

“Can you hear me, Kokichi Ouma?” The main doctor—a portly man—spoke softly amongst the rustling of others. “Blink once for yes, twice for no.”

Kokichi blinked once.

“Good, good…” The doctor sorted through papers. “Your body is still asleep—you’ll be able to move soon… Are you in any pain?”

Kokichi hesitated before blinking twice. The temperature had suddenly become normal by this point. It was good enough.

“Do you know where you are?”

Kokichi blinked twice for the last time. He could hear a sigh of relief from some of the doctors which sparked his attention.

“Alright.” The doctor murmured. “You’re currently in a facility that maintains Danganronpa members. Yes, that means you and all of the other students are alive.” He paused. “And yes, that also means Tsumugi Shirogane is alive.”

Kokichi’s gaze sharpened to betray his anger. The doctor chuckled.

“Calm down, calm down.” He smiled. “You’ll know what happened eventually, I’m sure.” He pat on the bed. “Now get some rest.”

‘Wait—’ He thought what he wanted to call out. ‘Are they still in the game? How long was I out? Where is Shuichi?’

Despite his best efforts, all he could do was welcome himself back to the abyss of unconsciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh boy we're out of the game now!! what a mess, what a mess! and voice is dead? where's sushi? ;_;


	45. The Faces Once Gone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kokichi meets with old people

The following days were nothing more then a blur of needles, medicine, and sleep. He had only regained a sluggish way of movement at this point, as trying anything more resulted in him passing out. It gave a certain pain that he couldn’t describe—but it wasn’t as painful as the feeling of dread tugging at his body.

‘Where is Shuichi?’

After two weeks—he kept track of the date and time by the calendar and clock in the room—he had finally been able to give out somewhat understandable sentences. The next time the doctor came in, he would ask.

And so he did.

The doctor walked into the room, followed by several nurses to aid him. After murmuring with each other for a few moments he signaled to one of the nurses. She and one other began to dismantle the mask covering his mouth. As he took his first true breath, he couldn’t help but feel that same pang of worry. He turned to the doctor and spoke quietly.

“Where is Shuichi?”

A look of understanding flashed across the doctor’s face. “Right now, Shuichi is still in the simulation.” Simulation meaning that he was still in the hands of the mastermind, Kokichi realized. “He’s still asleep, in other words… Would you like to watch the broadcast?”

Kokichi gave a quick nod. “Yes…”

One of the nurses grabbed a remote as a screen lowered itself in front of Kokichi’s bed. On the display was an overview of 4 of the students eating in the dining hall. He glanced at each of them. Kiibo was sitting with a sad, almost nostalgic look on his face. Tsumugi, Himiko, and Maki were sitting next to each other, each looking downcast in their own way. Kokichi was annoyed by the way Tsumugi was acting sad like the others.

“She’s a damn liar.” He hissed. “She’s acting like all the others but she’s the—she’s the fucking _mastermind_ and she acts like one of us! She’s not—she’s never gonna be one of us!”

“One of us?” The doctor flashed his eyes to Kokichi with a rather intrigued expression. “And I thought you liked lying. What ever happened to that?”

Kokichi bit his tongue. “I think there’s a difference between kind lies, sarcastic lies, and literally being everyone’s unknown enemy.”

“Is that so?”

“It is so.” Kokichi retaliated, turning his head back to the screen. It was then he noticed that Shuichi wasn’t there. “Where… is he?”

One of the nurses began to go through the channels. It seemed that there were about 15 channels that broadcasted different parts of the school or major events going on. At the current time there were only two active broadcasts: One in the dining hall and one watching Shuichi.

The detective was wearing his usual attire without his signature jacket. He was curled up on his bed and covered his face with his arm. His hand was covering his ear in an almost painful way. His mouth was moving ever so slightly as if he were speaking, but Kokichi couldn’t hear any noise coming out of the speakers.

As if he knew he was being watched, Shuichi tilted his head towards the ceiling. Kokichi could just barely hear his words as he whispered three lonely utters.

“ _I miss you…_ ”

Kokichi reached out his hand to the screen and lightly tapped on the screen before applying a higher amount of pressure. Silent tears began to well up in his eyes. He clenched his fists and slammed them down on his lap.

“DAMN IT ALL!” He cried. “Shuichi trusted me—and I failed him! He was so sure I would be okay—I—I’m such a _fucking idiot_! I don’t _deserve_ to be around him!”

The one kind nurse held Kokichi’s hand and smiled. “You should not think like that. You saved them from—”

“From myself…” Kokichi turned away. “Voice was me—he was just my thoughts formed into a solid entity… I can’t turn against him as if he was someone else!”

In the corner of the screen, a small notification appeared. ‘A new broadcast has opened!’ Next to the text there was a small head with Tsumugi’s hair—something must be happening.

“W—Wait—Do the viewers—”

“Sort of.” The doctor replied. “Tsumugi is thought of as Junko Enoshima in disguise. They know she is the mastermind, but they do not think of her as a separate character.”

“That’s bullshit.” Kokichi muttered as he wiped his face of tears. He changed the channel to watch Tsumugi, who was standing in the middle of room with a wooden flooring. A large machine stood in the middle of it all.

“Motherkuma—please create another Nanokuma.” She spoke coldly. As the machine began to construct, she continued. “I believe that something is going to happen soon. Please investigate around the school.”

As a small Nanokuma flew out, A twinge of static flickered over the screen, then large text appeared stating ‘BROADCAST ENDED!’

Kokichi narrowed his eyes and switched back to Shuichi’s feed. The detective had sat up in his bed, showing his face to the world for once.

He looked like a mess. It was the look in his eyes that gave away his feelings. He was distraught—far too terrified and melancholic to even stand. He had obviously been crying, but Kokichi could still hear those heart wrenching sobs. So much so that he had to turn off the monitor.

“I understand… I understand…” Kokichi murmured. “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…” He leaned back as a wave of sleep rushed over him. “Please forgive me… forgive me…” He repeated as he drifted off into yet another douse of sleep.

 

* * *

 

 

“Hello, Kokichi!” Mama smiled. “How are you feeling today?”

“I’m okay.” Kokichi mumbled. “Are you going to be my mother..?”

Mama nodded her head. “Yes, that’s right!”

The worker whispered to the woman. “His parents were murdered by the serial killer Hijiri Fukawa. He seems to act normal but refrain from speaking of the event.”

The woman nodded. “Your Papa is very excited to meet you, Kokichi. Though I must say he has been a bit… tense lately. Will that be okay?”

“That’s fine…” Kokichi blinked. “It’s nice to meet you, Mama…”

“It’s nice to meet you too, Kokichi…”

 

* * *

 

 

His eyes snapped open at the call of his name. The doctor had walked into the room with a cup of water. “I’m sorry for awaking you, but there’s someone who’d like to visit you later today. Is… that alright?”

“Who is it?” Kokichi wobbly sat up and took a sip of the water. A sudden pang of dread swept over him. “Is… Is it Shuichi? Did he—Did he…”

“No, it is not Shuichi.” The doctor assured him. “He’s still in the game. The person wants to remain anonymous…”

“Whatever. Let them in.” Kokichi shook his hand in the air. “When will they arrive?”

“In a few hours, I suppose.” The doctor replied. “They’re also undergoing treatment at this hospital, so they’ll need to prepare as well.”

“Yeah, okay… I get it…” Kokichi rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. It was 12:46PM. He had been asleep for about 4 hours. His schedule was practically nonexistent at this point, but the nurses had said sudden urges of sleep were normal for a recent arrival.

As the hours flew by, Kokichi heard a knock on the door. “Come in!” He called cheerfully. “Now who could it be that wants to see lil’ old m…”

In the doorway stood the Luminary of the Stars, Kaito Momota.

“K-Kaito…” Kokichi uttered out his name. “What are… What are you doing here?”

Kaito shook his head and sat down at the chair next to Kokichi. “I just… wanted to talk.”

“About..?”

“About everything, man.” Kaito shrugged. “Turns out I don’t actually have a chronic disease—it was just made up for the game.”

“So you are thinking of it as a game?” Kokichi pointed out. “You know what it all was now, right?”

“A television show. And not even a normal one, too.” Kaito nodded. “It’s this whole enterprise that we’ve somehow gotten ourselves caught up in… After we’re dispatched we have the choice of living in Danganronpa-sanctioned housing or with all of our classmates—if we can even call them that, you know?”

“What about our families..?” Kokichi whispered. He knew his parents didn’t care about him, but DICE was his family.

“I don’t know the details, but because we lasted to what’s titled ‘Chapter 5’, we get a larger amount of money compared to the others. You could always donate some to your family.” Kaito replied. “I have a question for you.”

“What is it?”

“Can you explain that second Kokichi now that we’re out of the game?” Kaito asked.

Kokichi blinked, then smiled. “Of course…Get ready, though. It’s pretty long.” He took a deep breath. “There were two killing games we all took part in. The first was one in which none of us would kill each other and… Shuichi and I fell in love… and because of the looming time limit to kill, Shuichi decided the best way to do so was to kill himself. However, during the trial, Rantaro was claimed to be the murderer due to a lack of alibi. I was the only one who guessed correctly, so I was spared. I witnessed every execution—but Tsumugi, the mastermind, had another plan. She reused our characters for another killing game. Somehow though, my personality was split into two separate forms by the Future Foundation—”

“The Future Foundation? That’s—That’s where we are now, isn’t it?” Kaito stammered.

“Wha—What? Really?” Kokichi blinked. “I didn’t—I didn’t know that was the case—How did we get here then?!”

The doctor opened the door. “I overheard your conversation. The reason why you’re under the Future Foundation’s care is because the old Future Foundation—the one that rescued Danganronpa members—is no more. What’s left of it are a bunch of petty hackers and whatnot. The current organization helps Danganronpa members find a suitable life after the game.”

“Petty hackers…? Like DICE?!” Kokichi hissed. “My own members wouldn’t do this to me!”

“But they did, Kokichi.” The doctor sighed. “I don’t know why, but…”

Kaito smiled. “They’re your friends, right? They must have had a reason to do it. Trust in them, okay?”

The monitor that was playing in the background suddenly caught Kokichi’s attention. On the screen, he saw Shuichi walking with Kiibo towards the dining hall.

“Good thing he’s finally opening up.” Kaito sighed. “I’ve been watching since I woke up.”

“No… Something else is going to happen.” Kokichi narrowed his eyes. “I know it.”

“Do you want to… meet the others? They’ve all been in the television room watching them as well… We’re all really worried…” Kaito offered.

Kokichi glanced at the machines still hooked up into his arms. “I wish I could, but I’m still bedridden. Sorry, Kaito.”

“Then I’ll… be back, okay? I’m not bringing them all, but—there are a few who also wanted to see you.” He nodded before walking out of the room along with the doctor.

Kokichi was pleasantly surprised to hear a few of the students wanted to see him, but then he realized that because they had been watching, they would have seen his little stunts and would possibly worry about his mental health. It would be good to set them at ease, but…

He couldn’t help but care more about Shuichi in the game then himself.

“Please be okay, Shuichi…” He murmured to himself as he watched the screen. “Please stay alive and end the game…”

He clasped his hands to the blanket and took a shallow, shaking breath. The door opened yet again and Kaito walked in, followed by Tenko and Kaede.

“You two..?” Kokichi blinked. “Tenko—it’s nice to see you, and… Kaede…” He smiled. “I know we haven’t talked much, but… it’s also nice to see you.”

Tenko smiled uncharacteristically. “You’ve changed a whole lot, Kokichi! I’ve never seen a degenerate male turn into such a shallow and calm person!”

Kaede laughed. “Oh, come on! He was just different in the simulation! He’s still a great person!”

Kokichi warmly smiled. “Thanks… Ah! Kaede, you died really early—may I ask if you saw anything weird in the videos…?”

Her gaze suddenly sharpened. “If you’re talking about Tsumugi, I already know…” Her eyes softened once more. “But I already forgave her. After all, it’s kind of her job.”

Tenko elbowed Kaede’s arm. “She put us through all of that cruel shit and you’re still going to forgive her! I guess that just makes you really, really str—”

Kaito signaled to the television. “Oh, shit!”

The other three darted their gaze to the monitor and watched as Shuichi started to talk to Tsumugi.

“Let me ask you something about the mastermind…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> suzumu's 'shinzou connect' really goes with this story, honestly. check it out if you want :P  
> anyways, another chapter has arrived! i hope you enjoyed it ;v;  
> we hit 500 kudos at the same time as 50 bookmarks and it would only be better if we had 50 or 500 comments, but such luck may never come!!!
> 
> see you next chapter!(❛ᴗ❛ั)


	46. Perfect Planner / Planless Perfection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sushi needs a snickers and dice is touhou

“The mastermind, huh?” Tsumugi blinked. Her entire attitude had changed from those times when Kokichi would run into her during the game. Now, she seemed to be just another fear-filled contestant of the killing game. “What about the mastermind, Shuichi?”

Shuichi paused as if he didn’t know what to say. He knew that Tsumugi was the mastermind, but as a detective he knew that if he didn’t have any proof he wouldn’t be sure to the others. There were so many images that flashed through his head—proof in his own mind that Tsumugi _was the mastermind—_ proof that he couldn’t distinguish was from this or the last killing game.

He took a slight breath and spoke. “I know you’re the mastermind, Shirogane. I know all about this duplicate killing game.”

Tsumugi smirked, the persona she had worn moments before fading into that cruel, borderline sadistic expression that haunted Kokichi. “Well, that’s not much of a question, huh?” She narrowed her eyes. “Unless you have something to ask me about that?”

“…Yeah. I do.” Shuichi shifted. “Kokichi was… a bit…” His eyes darkened as he talked about the purple haired boy. “He—He tried his best to explain everything, but I don’t understand all of it, so—”

“And what would you get by knowing this information?” Tsumugi interrupted.

“…Confirmation.”

Tsumugi seemed satisfied by that answer. “Alright, ask away, _Mr. Detective._ ”

“Why reset the game? You had a concrete winner. Was it because of Voice? What happened to him?” Shuichi pressed.

“A part of it, yes.” She admitted. “However, the major reason… Well, I think you’ll be able to guess.”

“…It’s because…” Shuichi looked down in deep thought. “The…The viewers wanted it this way.”

Tsumugi’s eyes brightened. “Yes, that’s right. Tell me—how did you get to that conclusion?”

“If none of this is real, and we’re being broadcasted—then that means we’re just characters to you. I have a feeling the outside world wanted to see more of our characters.” Shuichi deducted.

“How quick of you to call yourself a character.” Tsumugi smirked. “I wouldn’t put it any other way. How little must you think of your fr—”

“How little must I think of you, Tsumugi.” Shuichi interrupted with a dark smile. “If we’re characters, so are you.”

Tsumugi’s smirk dropped to a disappointed frown. “Your boyfriend seemed to rub off on you. You’re better than that, aren’t you?”

A rush of anger swept over Shuichi. His dark smile remained as he used his minimal energy to push Tsumugi into the wall, pinning her down and holding one finger to her neck. Tsumugi’s face flashed with horror before being replaced by that ever so confident smile.

“What are you doing?” She spoke as though speaking to a young, immature child.

Shuichi didn’t waver. “I don’t think you realize that if I kill you, there will be no mastermind.” As Tsumugi began to speak, he continued.  “Then the game will end and we’ll all be able to disconnect from this hellhole and reconcile with the _true_ world.”

Tsumugi grew a sinister smile at this. “I guess it wouldn’t be the first time you’re the blackened, huh, Shuichi?”

_Blackened._

_Suicide._

 

He stepped back reluctantly. “I’ve never been the blackened. Kokichi was the one who killed me. That’s what he told me.” As Tsumugi’s smile grew, his rapid speech continued. “I know that’s what he said—he was so hung up about it—”

“Are you sure you can trust his word? Or was that someone else saying those things?” Tsumugi stepped close to Shuichi. “In fact, I know exactly what happened. Would you like to know? Of course you would! In fact, you killed yourself!”

“No—No I didn’t—I wouldn’t have ever—”

“You and Kokichi made a plan. He would kill himself and you would act as the murderer—hoping that the mastermind wouldn’t be able to guess who the true murderer was! Good for you on that part. I had no idea! But your plan took a turn for the worst and Rantaro was deemed the killer! Kokichi was sooo devastated—it was amazing!”

Shuichi stood frozen in his place. “You don’t know any—”

“My word is more credible then yours at this point, Shuichi.” Tsumugi put her hand on his shoulder. “I’m sure he’s watching you fall to your misery right now!” She glanced up to the hidden camera and signaled at it to Shuichi.

Yet still, he didn’t turn to face it.

“Oh? What’s the matter?” Tsumugi furrowed her eyebrows.

“I’m not ready.” Shuichi muttered. “I don’t want him to see my face.”

 “All of this just to say that?” Tsumugi sighed. “What a good boyfriend you are.”

“…” Shuichi closed his eyes and backed up. “I’m going to expose you—or better yet, I’ll try to kill you.” He opened his clear eyes with a smile before waving to Tsumugi as he walked off. “See you later, Tsumugi!”

As he walked away, there was only one thing running in his mind.

_How am I supposed to fight against Tsumugi without proof?_

Shuichi began to wander around the school without aim before reaching Kaede’s lab. He narrowed his eyes and placed his hand on the door.

_Kaede’s lab…_

He thought back to the first trial with Rantaro’s death…

_Rantaro’s lab. Ultimate “???”. Maybe if I…_

“Shuichi?” Kiibo appeared from the corridor. “What are you doing here?”

“Ah! Kiibo—” Shuichi took a sharp breath. “I need your help.”

 

 

“We’re breaking into Rantaro’s lab?” Kiibo echoed.

Shuichi nodded. “I feel like there’s something… related to the mastermind there.”

Kiibo frowned. “Won’t we be breaking school rules?”

“Can you ask Maki to distract Monokuma, then?” Shuichi blinked. “That way we can get in, get what we need, and get out.”

“What makes you so sure there’s something in there, anyway?”

“Rantaro’s Ultimate Talent was unknown. I think…” Shuichi rubbed his head in frustration. He wasn’t entirely sure how to explain it himself.

“Hm.” Kiibo shrugged. “Whatever. I will help you.” He turned to walk away, leaving Shuichi to rush to Rantaro’s lab.

 

 

Kaito was wheeling to the main hall where the others were supposedly eating. Every time he tried to stand he would nearly fall over. Luckily, Kaito was nice enough to help him get around. He seemed to understand the purple-haired boy a lot better now—not just as a liar.

As they entered the hall, turning heads and slight gasps echoed throughout the room. Kaede and Tenko had gone ahead and told the others of Kokichi’s arrival. Many of them were still a bit angry at him for his ‘behavior’ in the game.

“Hi, guys!” Kokichi gave them all the best impression he could to act happy. “Did you miss me?”

“No, not really.” Korekiyo was the first to speak. “But to keep formalities, it is good to see you again, Kokichi.”

Kaito sighed from behind and wheeled him over to the empty space next to Tenko and his own seat. Kirumi gave a polite bow and laid a plate of food in front of him. With a quick thanks from Kokichi, she walked back to her seat and promptly resumed eating.

Kaede took the initiative that everyone was a bit worried to speak directly to Kokichi and asked in the nicest way possible, “So how’d you die?”

“…Huh?” Kokichi blinked.

“Well, we usually ask each other after they arrive… I kinda started that tradition. My bad if it’s personal.” Rantaro admitted with a smile.

“Not that.” Kokichi shrugged. “I just thought you’d all been watching.”

“Not many of us watch the broadcasts, but I do.” Ryoma mentioned. “They didn’t have any cameras when you died. We get more broadcasts for being participants, so we usually know who the murderer is before the world… and we didn’t see yours.”

“I mean, he’s always been a weird little shit!” Miu pointed out. “No wonder he died in such a mysterious way!”

Kokichi shifted in his chair. “Well, I wouldn’t call it mysterious…”

“So how _did_ you die?” Korekiyo asked.

A smile formed on Kokichi’s face. “Well, let’s just say it wasn’t exactly suicide… But it was really dramatic.”

Ryoma took a sip of water. “That’s all your gonna tell us, huh? Understandable.”

“Not that I want to hide it… I think it would just be better if you guys didn’t kn—”

After a few minutes of slightly awkward silence, the door to the hall creaked open. A nurse peered around quickly before walking over to Kokichi and whispering in his ear.

“You have visitors.”

Kokichi nodded and waved to Kaito before being wheeled off to his room where his visitors waited. He glanced at the nurse’s face.

“Do… do I know you?”

The nurse glanced back at Kokichi and winked. “You woke up a good amount of times during the game… I doubt you remember all of them.” She opened the door to Kokichi’s room and entered.

Kokichi’s first reaction was pure surprise.

“…Kanako—Suwako—Rinnosuke—” He said each of their names as he met their eyes. “How are you—How are you here—”

Kanako gave him a prideful smirk and placed her hands on her hips. “You think we’d be killed so easily?”

Suwako covered her smile with her hand. “We were sought after but they didn’t need us killed at all.”

“That doesn’t explain where the others are.” Rinnosuke shrugged. “It’s good to see you again, Kokichi. We all missed you.”

“Where… where _are_ the others?” He blinked.

“We don’t know for sure.” The nurse behind him closed the door and removed her cap. “But the four—five, with you—are the only ones who met up once again. All the others kind of dispersed once you were chosen for Danganronpa.” She pulled on her hair to reveal it’s fake texture as she exposed her true, short pink hair.

“Sanae!” Kokichi gasped. “You’re a nurse here?”

“I put up a good act, huh?” Sanae frowned. “You don’t need to worry about being seen here, though. The directors gave you guys a sense of privacy.”

“That’s a good thing.” Suwako sighed. “Anyways, I was really worried for you, Kokichi! We—We—We’re sorry for causing you so much trouble!” As if on cue, the others gave a deep bow with Suwako.

“Wha—Oh.” Kokichi was at a loss. “What were you trying to do?”

Rinnosuke sat up first. “We were trying to disconnect you as fast as possible, Kokichi. You at least got the knowledge before… it all went to shit. Seems that the knowledge we gave you had a mind of its own. Not a good one, either.”

“But we were the same person, weren’t we?” Kokichi tipped his head.

“That’s right.” Rinnosuke stated. “We’ve been watching and recording your encounters. You seem to be the same person, but you have different viewpoints.”

“I… I see…” Kokichi muttered. “B-but—What are your plans now?!”

Kanako smirked. “Well obviously we’re going to save the others!”

Suwako nodded in agreement. “Of course. We’ll try our best, even if we don’t have that much credibility.”

“What’s the plan?” Kokichi asked.

“To send you back.” Sanae replied. “Into the program.”

“How’s that gonna work?” Kokichi pouted. “We’re in Danganronpa headquarters right now!”

“Of course we’re not doing it here.” Sanae commented. “That’d be stupid. You want us all dead? No, we’re gonna get you out of here and to the Future Founda—DICE’s headquarters.”

“That’s the plan!” Kanako nodded eagerly. “But for now, we need you to regain proper movement. Don’t really want to carry around deadweight.”

“ _Deadweight my ass!”_ Kokichi hissed. He knew that Kanako was joking, but they’d known each other for so long they can tell that the other isn’t truly serious about their harsh words.

“Yeah, deadweight…” Sanae rolled her eyes. “I’ll schedule rehabilitation courses for you…”

“Why is it I’m the one who’s fucked up, anyways?” Kokichi wheeled himself over to his bed and lopsidedly got on top of it. “Everyone else seemed fine.”

“Hm.” Sanae hesitated. “You were out for a long time, I guess. I’m no doctor, but I do have a general sense of conditions.”

“Well… We should be going, then…” Suwako yawned. “We’ll be back soon once Sanae gives us the notice you’re ready, alright?”

Kokichi nodded. “Alright, thanks.”

Sanae fixed her wig and put her cap on. “I’ll escort you three to the doors. Let’s go.” She motioned for the others to follow.

“I’m glad you’re alright, Kokichi.” Suwako dipped her head and rushed out.

Kanako held up a peace sign. “See you later, loser!”

Rinnosuke hesitated before leaving. “I… I think you two work well together. You should go visit him later.” Without waiting for a reply, he left with Sanae closing the door.

_Visit him, huh? Doesn’t seem like a bad idea…_

“Wait. I can visit him?” He sniffed. “Well, it’s not like I’ve seen him in real life. The others looked the same here, so… maybe I should…” He lay down and stretched his weak arms. “…Tomorrow.”

The thought of seeing Shuichi again filled him with a slight feeling of regret—quickly tracing back to Voice, filling him with slight fear. If he were to go back into the game, would Voice still be there? He shook his head in frustration.

 _Bad move. Don’t think about_ him _right now._

_Don’t think about it._

_Don’t… think about it._

_Think about it._

_If Voice is me, then that means he’s still here. So where is he?_

Kokichi gasped in a rush of realization and closed his eyes to sleep.

And when he opened them, the man he was looking for was there.

“Hey, Voice.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *one month* im sorry. ;v;
> 
> no excuses for the wait other then my own writer's block :(  
> but that's okay, because we're back now!! i'll have another chapter up sometime this week!!  
> i hope you enjoy >v<
> 
>  
> 
> ps whoever gets the title reference is a good person


	47. The Interloper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sushi hijacks with carbo and kokichi is sad again for the fifteenth time

A figure in the distance was sitting down on the floor with its head hiding in its knees. Kokichi reached his hand out to it before it spoke two uttering words.

“ _Get out._ ”

Kokichi walked up next to Voice and hesitated. “Why are you still here?”

“ _…”_ Voice lifted his head to meet Kokichi’s eyes. “ _…Get out.”_

Kokichi crossed his arms in an attempt to remain superior by action. “Answer my question, Voice—”

“ _Stop calling me that.”_ Voice hissed. “ _My name… it’s not Voice. You know that as well as I do.”_

“Answer my question and I’ll consider it.” Kokichi retaliated stubbornly.

Voice clicked his tongue and turned his head away. “ _Whether I like it or not I’m here. We’re both on the same page in me wanting to leave, okay? Just leave me alone and I’ll do the same to you.”_

“…Oh.” Kokichi took a step back. “So that’s why you wanted me dead. I’m sure you didn’t realize you’d still be here, huh?”

His response was a dumbfounded look followed by himself hiding his face once more. _“Wording it like that makes it seem like I’m a bad—Well, I’m not denying that…”_ He gave himself a small, sad fit of laughter.

“That self-deprecating laughter suits you. I guess the only reason you wanted me dead is because you yourself felt useless and just placed that silly blame on me.” Kokichi smirked. “How pathetic.”

“ _…”_ Voice closed his eyes. “ _…Go away.”_

“Make me.” Kokichi pressed. “Go on. Make me leave.”

Voice clenched his fists and lowered his head even more. “… _I can’t…”_

“Oh?” Kokichi leaned forward. “And why’s that?”

“…” Voice wore a pained expression when he looked back up at Kokichi. “ _…Please just leave me alone…”_ His words hinted he was on the verge of tears.

Kokichi wasn’t in the mood. “I had to put up with you for the entirety of the killing game and _this_ is what you say to me once we’re out? How thoughtful of you!”

“… _I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”_ Voice repeated those two words several times before Kokichi kneeled down next to him. “ _Please… please go away… leave me alone…”_

“Could it be? You don’t have your powers anymore?” Kokichi theorized.

“ _It’s a dream… I can’t control your dreams… I can’t do anything anymore…”_ Voice whispered. “ _Please just go… I won’t bother you anymore… I won’t speak to you at all…”_ He wiped his eyes. “ _Just do what I’d do… and live on…”_

“…” Kokichi narrowed his eyes, opening his mouth to speak. As soon as he went to talk, his eyes flashed open out of the dream. “…Shit.”

He glanced over to the clock in the room, seeing that it was already morning. He sat up as Sanae entered the room with an amused smile.

“Hungry already, huh?” She helped Kokichi into the wheelchair. “Understandable. Luckily, you won’t need this garbage thing anymore after a few rehabilitation exercises… We’ll begin that after you eat, but…” She paused and glanced down the hall. “I know there is something else you want to do soon, yes?”

Kokichi glared at Sanae. “How did you know that?”

“Other then the fact I was there, I thought you knew I’m very good at guessing. But it seems that this time I was correct.” Sanae shrugged, opening the door to the dining hall. “Good luck.”

As he quietly ate his food, the others around him were engaged in yet another Danganronpa-related conversation. This time, however, it was about Shuichi.

“You’re telling me he knew Tsumugi was the mastermind?!” Tenko exclaimed. “That’s not possible! Tsumugi’s one of us, right?”

“It ain’t that hard to put up an act, huh?” Miu responded with a glance at Gonta.

“Tsumugi… could be mastermind. Gonta trust Shuichi.” Gonta boldly stated.

Kokichi yawned and took a sip of water. “No use theorizing about what’s already been shown to be true.”

“Hah?” Miu tilted her head and leaned forward. “What’re you mumbling about?”

A small frown formed on Kokichi’s face. “It’s not that hard to tell Tsumugi’s the master… no, it’s only because I was looking for the signs…” He cleared his throat. “Ah… I’m just trying to say—”

“You _KNEW_ she was the mastermind?” Miu suddenly shouted. “Why didn’t you say anything?!”

Kokichi clicked his tongue. “It’s not like you would have believed me. Only reason you do now is because Shuichi said it. Not like I was a reliable source to you guys either.”

“That’s not true…” Kaede frowned. “If I was there, I would have believed you…”

“Or at least tried to.” Tenko finished. “I feel like a lot of us have changed after our… deaths… but right now, I think—”

“—It’s too late for us to do anything.” Korekiyo cut her off. “We’re out of commission essentially. We can’t even leave the building without being escorted back by security.”

“That’s only because they don’t want us spreading… ideas.” Rantaro sighed. “It’s better for us to stay here for them. That’s all.”

Kokichi narrowed his eyes and looked away. “I’m… gonna go…”

“Where are you off to?” Kaito called as Kokichi wheeled himself away. Sanae appeared on cue and readied herself to push the wheelchair.

“Rehabilitation…” Kokichi muttered. “And just visiting someone.” He shook his head quickly and smiled as he was pushed away.

Sanae glanced at her watch as they travelled down the hall. “We have about twenty minutes before your class begins, so we’ll go visit him now, okay?”

“Alright.” Kokichi closed his eyes and listened to the ambience of the hospital-esque building. There was the faint echoing of music from the speakers, the scrambling of workers pacing down the halls, the rolling of wheels from just below him… By the time he opened his eyes, he was at the door to a room similar to his, yet the small window showed the dimness inside from the lowered lights.

Sanae cast him a quick glance before opening the door to reveal an unmoving body with their head covered by a large machine. Kokichi was wheeled next to the body. He placed his hand on top of Shuichi’s hesitantly, feeling that the body was warm. Sanae tapped Kokichi’s shoulder and motioned she would wait outside.

Once he was alone, Kokichi couldn’t help but sigh.

“I’m… glad to see you again…”

He stopped.

“I’m sorry for… uh… well, it’s not like I can see your face under the machine, but… I guess this is enough for you to get mad at me.”

He paused again.

“S-Sorry… I don’t know what to say…” Kokichi clenched his hand around Shuichi’s. “I’m… just hoping I can help you guys soon. Even if it means… yeah. I hope it turns out well…”

He shifted awkwardly and let out a small chuckle.

“One sided conversations don’t really work with you, huh? I’m much more used to… getting a response that’s seemingly intellectual. I wonder… what are you doing… right now?”

 

* * *

 

 

Shuichi, Kiibo, and Himiko peered into the gaping hole leading to Rantaro’s lab. As if waiting for someone, there was a small safe to be opened.

“We… We d-don’t know the code.” Himiko muttered. “How are we gonna get in?”

Kiibo readied his weaponry. “I’ll do it.”

Shuichi nodded and stepped back with Himiko doing the same. “Alright. Let’s solve this.”

With a few flashes and loud noises, Kiibo shot at the safe hoping to get some sort of result. It was their best option, they had no other choice. Quickly, they saw a small tablet sitting in the middle of the safe on display. Kiibo reached in through the decaying metal and grabbed it, tossing it to Shuichi and shaking his arm quickly to brush off the dust.

“…A Monopad?” Himiko blinked. She took a deep breath. “Let’s go somewhere else to watch it… I have a feeling it’d be better that way… And it’s all dusty in here.”

“Right. Let’s go to my lab. It’s right here anyway.” Shuichi led the two to his lab, where he couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness.

Kiibo, realizing this, placed his hand on Shuichi’s shoulder. Shuichi shook his head and smiled. “Let’s watch it then.”

 

* * *

 

 

Kokichi had been laying in his room after his class. It was a very expensive therapy session—so much to the point that after one class he could walk with a cane. The machines’ effects on the body were the rough part that postponed it. For a good recovery, Kokichi would be with the cane for at least a week. His right leg worked fine, but the left was still extremely weak.

He had been watching the screen far too intensely. He only left the room to go and eat, and his only visitors were Sanae, Kaito, and occasionally Tenko.

Sanae appeared the most, but it was only to give messages from the others about the ‘plan’ they were preparing. Kokichi was a little nervous, though. He wasn’t sure the side effects of going back into the game would be good, but Sanae had assured him that as long as he wasn’t in there for long he’d be okay.

He was also worried about what Shuichi would say to him. After all, he failed him. Twice. Voice would probably take advantage of his reawakening in the game, but Kokichi already had a good idea of what he’d be able to do.

DICE, or the Future Foundation, would give Kokichi the abilities Voice had had before. He would have to hide from Tsumugi, that’s for sure. He’d be able to traverse almost as a ghost—an ethereal being. An incorporeal being. A divine being. He realized that none of the others, with the exception of Shuichi and obviously Tsumugi, would be terrified that there was the ghost of someone who had been seen dead. It would be a bit funny to Kokichi, though. He loved pulling pranks, and this was almost the biggest one he could.

“One week. One week left before I send myself back into that hellhole…” He recounted out loud. “And I hope that none of us have to go back ever again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not a lot happens this chapter but this is just a bunch of build up i swear  
> in case you're like me (lolololo) ill say that shuichi's story until kokichi's arrival will basically be the same as canon with Motherkuma and stuff ( l v l ) so that's the only reason--ifyoucare--that you won't see as much of his side of the story..
> 
> anyways, see you next chapter! :O


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